Rocky Waves and Not-so-Sweet Dreams // Ezrakel, Joining

[SirDio]

Ezrakel Tsune

"It's as if he's haunting my every step, wanting me to break under his maddening presence."

Where's Ezekiel, Ezrakel?!

Where is he, where is your brother?

Their voices were all around him, begging and yelling at him for his brother. Their featureless faces swarmed his vision, along with the sound of waves crashing against him. He tried to yell, tried to lie to them, say 'I don't know!' and let the nightmare all be over with, but he couldn't speak.

W̸͕͛ȧ̸̡ḳ̸̯̿́e̸͕̔ ̷̪͒ȕ̷͈̯̅p̵̦͍̐͐,̵̙̓̊ ̴̹͋̿l̵̰̰̽î̷̙͚t̶̰̺̀t̴̢̔l̵̤͖̈́̿ê̴͕̔ ̶̞́̐ͅb̸̜͌r̶͔̮͘o̷̧̳͛̕t̷͖͆h̷̳̝̚e̸̟̊́r̴͙͔͌͆.̷̛̳̈

His own voice rang in his ears like a warning drum.

I̴̹̲̟̣͒̌͜ ̴̻̲͚̲̮̹̀Ȃ̴̝̫͗M̸̡͈͕͇̂̉̈̇ ̵͇̟̼̦̜̦̾̒͜ͅN̴̛̘̎͑̆̈́̇̚O̴͎̞̺͊͌͆̇̕͘Ť̴͕̮̜̮̗̋̑̿̀͐̕ ̶̪̪̭̌̐͘Ḏ̴̢̃̌̒Ö̵̦̖͉͍̖̅̽̈̈̓͆͜͠N̶̟̍̾̇̀̂̊E̶̝̻̠̻̊̔̏̈́̅͆̎̕ ̷̨̬͖̻͇̦̗͙͑͊W̴̨͐̓͝Ĭ̶͖̇́̓͗͗͘Ť̷̹̭͈̝̝̹̠̟̆̐̚͝H̴͈̦̻̜̿̇̇̎́̈́̏ ̴̘̔̆Ŷ̵͚̙͈͖͇̍͠Ò̴̼̟̺͙͔͛͗̇U̶̯͕̪̺̎͑̌̀͑̓͝ ̸̢͎̯͖̭͔̮͑̉͒̌̑͜͝Y̸̢̱͈̫̬̰͙͐͌̄͂̀̋Ę̵͖̲̤̓́̅͂̈́͗͝Ţ̴̦̹̱̠̫͎͕̋̏́͒̑


He jolted awake, body shivering as waves rolled over his body, lapping at his chest. For a moment, he didn't move. Then, like lightning hit him, he sat up, sand stuck in his fur as he looked at his bandages. God damn, did his wounds hurt, and they were almost fully healed.

Slowly, he came to realize 2 things. 1) His wounds hurt like the devil himself stuck his ugly claws into them, and 2) He had no idea where he was. The only thing he really remembered was slipping off the small cliffside during a rather bad storm. The sky was a dull blue with the late dawn, but he remembered it being nighttime when the storm hit. But, where the hell was he??

After quickly redoing his bandages, hissing every now and then due to the pain, he stood up. His eyes scanned the area as his nose sniffed at the air. Among the salty air, a faint feline scent hung in the air, along with other animals. For a moment, he relaxed, but then he tensed up.

'Other animals don't always mean safety.' But by god, did he want to have a group. He had heard of the ones at the main land, and the Typhoon (none of which really stuck his 9 month old fancy), but he never saw this island - perhaps there was another group?

He felt something brush against him, and he turned to look, yet saw nothing. He let out a deep sigh, then looked to the sky. After a moment he looked back at the shore.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" A stupid question, but a question nonetheless. He just had to make sure his voice was broadcasted as best it could be.

[ARGUS]

Within one breath and the next, the figure of argus' form could be seen exiting the ruins of an underbrush from the island. Large wisps of brown, molted red and black painted along her legs- wings hinged along her back to hide the scars that scored along her back. Argus looked down at the small whelp along the shoreline. the emotion flickering there incomprehensible. She felt a stirring of her own voice respond in kind to the question- "[glow=grey,2,300]you are at the border of the condemned, youngling.[/glow]"

Argus' voice was a low rumble of a growl: a savage thing bred from disuse and hoarse with the sense of screaming. Serrated maw opening without the flash of fangs under a plow-white mask: there was a cock to her head- but her words befell no question: yet "[glow=grey,2,300]What is it you seek?[/glow]"

Argus had asked the question a countless times; each one with a different answer- or the same if you thought to look closely. everyone wanted something, there was always something to be found lacking, and argus was benevolent enough to aid some, help. it was rare she would find the patience in recent times: the world had been cruel to her- it was not hard to see that, but her voice held no open hostility, on a neutrality as she weighed the scales of the stranger.

but the presence of blood, the scent and the appearance of bandages covering the small fragile stranger at the border. There was a narrow to her eye, under her mask a crease of convulsion that twitched and scaled maw. "[glow=grey,2,300] you're injured: would you allow me to help you?[/glow]"

[SirDio]

Ezrakel Tsune

"It's as if he's haunting my every step, wanting me to break under his maddening presence."

Out of all the animals he expected to show up, this one was not one of them. But the sight of Argus, if he was more awake, would have startled the life out of him. But he was tired, drained from both the storm and the nightmare. Her voice didn't sooth him much, but he relaxed slowly. He held a slightly dazed look, but wasn't distracted. 'Border of the condemned?' His ears flicked before he answered her first question.

"I've wanted to find a group to stay at. I had heard of the other groups at the main island, and the Typhoon, but... I didn't know this island existed."

He tried to step forward, but his paws fumbled and he almost fell, but caught himself. Injured wasn't even half of it, really. But what else was there? He shrugged, his voice drawling out. "My injuries are almost healed, so right now? No, I wouldn't allow it. Had they been worse, yes, I would have." It was the truth of it all, no lies or half truths. He sat down, his feathered tail tip occasionally twitching.

[ARGUS]

Argus had a history of healing, in the sparse time between wars: she picked up herbs and had tucked her claws away: fangs only used in the façade of a smile along her maws (small, fragile thing: a smile is). Even then there was a never ending bloodstain along her paws, bloodshed was inevitable. injury was always a certainty- as was death: just for a moment: she refused the inevitable, and healed instead of hurt. It was a glorious time- as backward as the thinking were for her.

There were those that ignored her soothing; ones who wished for the scars of battle to linger on them: Argus saw arrogance in the creature before her, but after a moment of silent consideration she relinquished. It was not her story to judge, and she were not the proper guru to force the other to stand still and listen to reason: just a wonderer for the moment: a wonderer like he.

"[glow=grey,2,300] be grateful you washed on our borders then,[/glow]" Argus rumbled, Tales of Goldie's wrath wasn't unknown. one of the Pitt leader's fell quiet gruesomely, and Argus had half a mind to return just to sooth the desert's lands back into fruition but--- alas: it was not her journey either: that relied on her daughter's shoulders now.

"[glow=grey,2,300] beyond this island is uncharted, and endless sea.[/glow]" Argus finished her warning, her sporadically furred tail swatting behind her as the behemoth moved to a more comfortable position. Wings extending towards the ground as the  joints held her frame still. front claws digging into the sand while her left paw moved outwards, open. The gestured wasn't... was an instinct lied in her from. An open invitation.

"[glow=grey,2,300]if you are looking for a home; look no further. Our borders our open, we are small but close knit.[/glow]" Argus welcomed them: and here she would pause, extending a clawed hand towards the stranger, in silent ascendance: she could probably lift him with a single hand and carry him further in, if he needed it.

"[glow=grey,2,300]My name is Argus Mortemm, a wonderer of the coalition of the condemned. what shall I call you? [/glow]" how shall we welcome you? the question was an undercurrent, silent thing but the meaning was still there: in her open body language. red eyes looked on towards the small wounded warrior but a pup, already so wounded, her thoughts were tumultuous, a silent anger and the cause of his injury. He was one of her own now- as every member of the condemned: hers to protect, to give, nurture, care for.

[SirDio]

Ezrakel Tsune

"It's as if he's haunting me, wanting me to break under his maddening presence."

He listened intently, eyes widening slightly when she said the waters beyond here were uncharted, and mentally he agreed that it was a good thing he washed up here and not somewhere else, if at all. He watched as Argus moved positions, gesturing an invitation to him. For a moment, he almost denied it, but if he did he was a fool. And he didn't want to be more of a fool than he already was.

He stood up as she extended her hand toward him, wishing to take him in. His hauches ached with the residue of salt that was still there, but he padded closer. Again, he felt something rush past him, but he saw nothing out of his vision, so he dismissed it with a flick of his ear.

"A nice name, Argus Mortemm. You may call me Ezrakel Tsu-" His words caught in his throat. His last name didn't mean anything, but he cleared his throat like he had something stuck in it. "Ezrakel Tsune." His hind legs shook for a moment but as he pushed uncertainty down, the shaking subsided and he looked up at Argus.

[ARGUS]

ah, it was there: that budding hope of naivete or self-preservation. the only thing that kept argus' patience- sanity. Where there was one who turned there back: there was always another who opened the door to possibility. He reciprocated her open palm: clawed hand curling around him before she would begin her trail back inland, closer to the clan's grounds (with him in her grasp, to not jostle his sores any more, if he allowed it) : where a guru could berate them both for the youngest's injuries. The scent of salt came under her mask and flooded her senses: she winched, a slight shudder of her form as scales reflexively tensed. salt in wounds was nasty: it made an injury burn all the sweeter.

It was a common (favored) tactic: before.

his voice stumbled along his own name: And ten eyes blinked, slow in tandem with one another. "[glow=grey,2,300]a name is a name, Ezrakel.[/glow]" Argus'  voice held no such tenderness, just a solemn void where she refused to show such flickering embers of rage: someone close to him then. a hint to his injury, or a mental one: both would need treating. Scars left to fester often did rot.

"[glow=grey,2,300]it is common practice, to change your name if you wish it.[/glow]" Argus hummed the idea: a hiss of a suggestion on her tongue. She refused the compelling idea to actually force her way into his mind, pluck at the injury and bury it deep, but only slightly. such cravings for violence- to an ally was not becoming. Such violence was hard for argues to move away from: once taught- never forgotten.

"[glow=grey,2,300]I have changed mine thrice, since I've lived within these clans.[/glow]" Argus hummed, the slight admittance was an open door, another suggestion to carry on- elaborate his own name, or his own history if he felt brave enough to do so.

[SirDio]

Ezrakel Tsune

"It's as if he's haunting me, wanting me to break under his maddening presence."

It was unexpected, being picked up by Argus, but he didn't mind after a moment. It gave his wounds less strain.

"Indeed it is." His ears flicked for a moment. He flexed his front claws for a moment. "I'll definitely think about it."

Her admittance urged him to add, so he did, but only slightly. "I was named partially after my father. He was... is a good man."

[Luciferr]

SO OPEN YOUR EYES, CHILD, LET'S BE ON OUR WAY
BROKEN WINDOWS AND ASHES, ARE GUIDING THE WAY

It’s on their way back that Andru comes across the two - Argus he knows but the other is clearly a stranger - though given the way Argus holds them, less a stranger more a new face - which is welcome, it’s always nice to have more of their little family of misfits.

The wraith makes his way over to the two of them, barely blinking at Argus - used to her as he was and well, his brief stint as dead had given him insight into stranger things - or at least the strange feel of their presence.

”new friend Argus?” he asks with the same casual drawl as always bright - brighter now - mismatched green eyes flickering over to the cat ”Names Andru friend”

KEEP QUIET NO LONGER, WE'LL SING THROUGH THE DAY
OF THE LIVES THAT WE'VE LOST, THE LIVES WE'VE RECLAIMED!

— Reggan

[SirDio]

Ezrakel Tsune

"It's as if he's haunting me, wanting me to break under his maddening presence."

Ezrakel had noticed Andru as he approached, and dipped his head to the white lion as he arrived. He didn't wait for Argus to speak, probably out of an unreasonable amount of joy at finding another aside from Argus (not to say he didn't like Argus, it just felt nice to see another feline face, no matter how.. Wraith-y it seemed). "I am Ezrakel." He extended his neck a bit to sniff at Andru, ears flicking quietly.

[ARGUS]

it was a give, a small one but a bow all the same. Argus hummed out, taking in the other's words as one of consideration, and didn't push the issue any further. Instead she began the short walk closer inland, towards the guru no doubt- only to spot the other on the approach, stopping just short of it- damn.

What may have seemed like a stutter in movement as Andru made his appearance known, the grin under her mask was less sheepish and more of pride. She held no reservations in staking her claim on people, and from ezrakel's response, he had either little idea of it or little care too. It only made the situation better in her eyes- and she tilted her mask to show that grin. Jagged teeth unsettling under the smooth pallor of her mask. black gums under the yellow teeth and white scales.

"[glow=grey,2,300]good to see you, Andru[/glow]" Argus knew the other as a child to Stryker, a distant way in that Argus hadn't really made much note. she hadn't attempted to make much of an appearance in her first month the the coalition. She knew she was a hard figure to miss, but it made her curious of what he thought of her rather silent nature.

It was with a serenity of a mother- well practiced and well used, she lowered Ezrakel. Opening her claws to allow the other to stumble out, if nothing else she could poke towards the ruins of the guru den, while showing the newcomer that what remains of the camp. Unless someone beat her to showing the other.