-Caught in a crossfire-Acnestis-

[Schism]

Schism was immensely glad that she was out of the hell-hole know as The Pitt. Just thinking about the place sent her seething with anger. It didn’t help that an ignorant Pittian decided it would be a good idea to harass and chase the ex-slave. Her frustration and fear had fueled her for awhile but while she was quick, she knew she wasn’t gonna last forever.

Her haunches burned from use and her chest ached every time she tried to suck in a breath. She was running out of time. Her markings were unusual for a cheetah and that made her a...specialty. The scars running along her sides and her back showed her history. Defiance and slavery meshed poorly, Schism just happened to be the living proof of that statement. Her entire expression was marred by exhaustion, fear, and anger.

Schism wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to go for. She was already beginning to slow and with no needed breaks in sight, she saw a collapse to be a probable future. She didn’t want to go back, but with the Pittian hot on her heels, her hope began to crumble. She wasn’t ready to go back. Not now, not ever. She didn’t want to go...

[member=11178]Sunburned Lily[/member]

[Sunburned Lily]

[OOC: I'll take the reins on the Pittian  ;D You'll be the first person I've rped with in years! Tysm for the opportunity <3]


[The Pittian]

A wolf from the old times, set in his ways, cruel & sadistic with his own anger boiling under the surface over the execution of his prized leader, Jervis. He was a slaver. His livelihood, now, is in shambles. That pushed him over the edge. That, the looks of the slaves as they were freed, the disgust & prejudice aimed towards him from his own clan-- he could take no more.

The wolf snapped.

Aging muzzle pressed to the soft, cool earth underpaw, he determinedly follows the scent of the ex-slave he's been tracking for the past few days. She's a cheetah; calls herself Schism. She likely does not remember him, but he remembers her. Hell to try and break, that one was.
"A footprint.. fresh.." He murmurs to himself, a quiet bark of sadistic amusement leaving him. With a lick of his chops the wolf ups the energy of his leisurely trot. She's much, much faster than him, but wolves have legendary endurance. He is no exception despite his age.
He bounds forward, breath coming in fluid draws, ears pricked & eyes alert.

[Acnestis]

Several yards directly ahead of Schism lies Acnestis: a monster of a dinosaur, perfectly camouflaged in the early morning sunshine filtering through the canopy, what with his dappled grens, browns, & shades of yellow. He rests against a tree, curled, head resting on his flank, eyes half open. He is unaware of the unusual cheetah fleeing towards him.. for now.

[Schism]

[OOC: Oh wow, I hope I do your first rp in years some justice! Sorry to have you doing double time! It looks like your rp skills are amazing though! I really like the writing!]

It was going fairly well for Schism. She was running, like usual, and while it was hard, Schism didn’t believe that she was going to be gone within the next few moments. Then her head hit dirt, and her paws scrambled against the ground. Her body had officially given up on her, the muscles had become so sore that once she had fallen, it was a terrible struggle just to stand. There was an involuntary whine as she realized what this meant for her. The Pittian had been tracking her for so long...atleast it felt like it was forever in which she had been evading the wolf. To give up now would’ve been a waste. Her last moments of freedom running? The thought alone was an awful one.

She wasn’t strong, she wouldn’t be able to fight back once he found her. It brought such a sense of dread to her that it felt as though she was being crushed. The noise from her fall would surely have been loud enough for anyone within range to hear, not to mention the disheartening noises she made. However, with the last of her energy she began to continue the defiance to being caught. Her movements were shaky, slow, and a definite struggle as she tried to put her last efforts into getting far, far away from the slaver.

Her chest heaved and her lungs burned. Every muscle was sore and every movement made her wince. She was going to fight with her last breath if she had to. That arrogant, selfish, Pittian would have to fight her before she ever becomes a slave again.

Of course, within the moment, a patch of camouflage would be of no notice to Schism as she got closer and closer towards the dinosaur’s resting spot. Really, her surroundings were of no concern as long as it didn’t contain silver fur or the smell of that forsaken Pitt.

[Sunburned Lily]

[The Pittian]

In the distance, somewhere ahead & to his left; he hears her. It is a faint sound at this distance.. one he ought not have heard-- perhaps it was even his imagination --but it seems the gods are not on Schism's side today. & so he grins. A terrible, terrible stretching of his mouth to reveal a set of yellowed teeth yet still sharp enough to pierce through a scarred pelt. He hurtles forward with a new energy. Tired, yes, as his tongue lolls from his mouth, but in much better shape than his prey.
A nearby bird lets out a cry of alarm as he draws closer & closer.

[Acnestis]

Reptilian eyes open wide, pupils narrowing to slits. Acnestis lifts his great head as to scent the air. Generally, the beast does not care for his surroundings when resting, so confident is he, but that noise.. something is strange about it. Something that drives him to investigate. & so, with a rumbling purr, he painstakingly rises to his feet with the help of the tree. The once vibrant ferns beneath him are all but crushed into mush. A crisp smelling smear of sticky green juice & yellow pollen is left on his belly & legs. No matter. He will clean himself later..

Standing 9 feet at the shoulder, weighing just shy of 7 tons, Acnestis is yet sill narrow enough to easily pass through a few trees, trampling the undergrowth beneath with each step. An instinct tells him not to bother crouching. Not to worry about remaining unseen, as with hunting. An instinct he only understands upon seeing her after stepping past a particularly leafy tree.

[Schism]

Schism was in mental and physical anguish. Everything hurt and she only wished that she could lay down, for just a moment at the very least. But fate is cruel. She was given a chance to flee, to run, to start over but fate decided that she would be a pawn. A chance at hope only for it to be smothered. That stupid wolf found it fun to hunt her and Schism was tired. Her time was running out and that didn’t make her any less angry.

Every fiber of her being wanted to stop and yet she kept going. Out of spite and out of frustration. A caw alerted Schism that her chaser was close and knew where she was. An involuntary yowl left the maw of Schism. So full of sorrow and hatred, it was more then just a cry though, it was a plead and a promise. If she couldn’t find a way out then she would be sure to fight, scratch, bite, anything to make sure that god awful Pittian was hurt.

She didn’t bother to look at trees. There was no reason to when she was not there to sightsee. Thus, the cheetah didn’t even glance in the direction of the ambush predator. She wouldn’t give her current hunter the credit to be that smart, and she herself wasn’t so observant to notice. Her body was slowing though, even more then it had before. She wasn’t strong before and with tired limbs it would be a miracle to draw blood from the one who wished her harm. However, she would never be a slave again. If if that meant resisting the stupid Pittian till her last breath.

[Sunburned Lily]

[The Pittian]

"I reckon this is the end of our chase, little kitten."

He calls as he slows to a leisurely trot, silver chest rising & falling evenly as he settles from his run. He may be strong but he is still rather old. Yet there is a fire burning in his eyes, a spring in his step, a cocky & cruel grin stretched across his muzzle. Moments later the wolf prowls out from the underbrush. He chortles at the state she is in, tail & ears erecting in a display of intimidation.

"It'll take days to clean all the blood from my fur when I'm done wit' you."

& with that, he lunges for her. His heart pounds & blood sings for a crimson coat on his muzzle. He feels alive. For the first time since the climax of the rebellion, since Jervis's death, he feels good. This satisfaction will prove to be short lived, however.

[Schism]

Schism halted her movement at the cruel tone. Her fur raised at the sound. Her fears will never be as close to reality then now, and they only preceded to get closer and closer as she watched. Her eyes were wide with fear and hatred. An ugly snarl to hide the grimace from the pain. She heard him coming, knew when he was arriving and yet she was still no more prepared then before.

She backed away, or tried to atleast. Her back paw hit a tree and Schism was effectively trapped as the Pittian stalked through the underbrush towards her. Her heart pumped faster with each step he took. She took a stance, wide and angry although lax. Her tail was held stiff and then she watched with her teeth bared.

The elder wolf launched at the cheetah and with a cry, she braced for impact. They collided, the force causing Schism to fly back, hitting the tree behind her. The captor was now on top of the cheetah before she began to kick and scream. ”Leave me alone!”

Her voice was hoarse. The energy she had was used for running. The remaining pieces were now being expended to claw and scratch at the wolf hovering over her. She tried to rake her claws through the underbelly of the slaver, however it was doubtful that they were any more then light pawing towards the attacker.

Tears pricked the corner of Schism’s eyes, her entire being thrashed about with despair. She didn’t want to go like this. Not like this.. Not now, not ever!

[Sunburned Lily]

[The Pittian]

Ha! Finally. He has her. Such pathetic struggles.. It is fine entertainment to mockingly bat back at her with his paws, to snap at her with his fangs.

His growl of delight is cut short by the feeble clawing at his underside. The wolf pauses his attempts to lock his jaws around Schism's neck to stare balefully down at her, thick fur protecting him from the worst of it. Seeing her so weak.. so close to death by his tooth.. It sends a tingle down his spine, setting his hackle standing upright. The scent of fear hidden by her fierce expressions entices him only more.

A great figure looms over the two. It blocks out the February sunlight. "You're weak." He laughs, too focused on his prey to notice. "Weaker tha-- urghk." The wolf is snapped up into Acnestis's maw.

[Acnestis]

The forest seems to fall silent as a most pitiful whimpering of pain emits from the struggling form caught in his jaws. Acnestis lifts his head high, shaking the wolf, crushing him to death with a splatter of blood, then unceremoniously swallowing the monster whole. It is over within seconds.

A stray breeze whispers through the pines. Nearby, a bird dares to call out to his mate.

Acnestis emits a prideful purr as he pivots clumsily yet confidently in place, flashing his crest & size for the female he has just "won". 'Look at how strong I am.' He seems to say. 'Look how capable.' The creature cannot grasp such concepts as slavery, revenge, sadistic torture. In his eyes, he has simply eliminated competition. In his eyes, he must now secure the female's trust lest she kill him-- as a true female of his species would --or flee.
The lumbering theropod turns a circle before facing her once more. He bows his head, blood dripping from his muzzle, & coos, averting his gaze with a drooping of his tail. The stick juice clinging to his scales begins to itch. He pays it little mind.

[Schism]

Schism has closed her eyes for a moment, expecting the pain of teeth sinking into her neck or perhaps claws scratching her in a taunting manner. Instead she got a half finished sentence and a release of weight on her body. She couldn’t have been happier. She heaved in breaths as she gazed at her savior, slowly standing up from her previous position. Despite the size, his mannerisms reminded the cheetah as a child. The way he carried himself and tried to bring attention to himself without saying anything or being too dominant.

Yes, a very large, dangerous child... It took Schism a while to realize that the large being was basically giving her control. Giving her freedom. He had earned her trust alright. Especially with the fact that he had saved her life and all. It was a bit unsettling to see the splatter of blood dripping from his jaws but then again, it was no different then the blood she would’ve spilled instead.

She slowly padded closer to the dinosaur. Her heart still beating fast from the swiftly ended encounter. Then she touched her snout to the acrocanthusaurus’s nose. ”Thank you...” It was deep and meaningful. No amount of sincerity would be able to convey how much he had truly helped her. Schism was finally able to take an actual moment of relief. Her pursuer was no longer a threat and the thought alone almost made her start crying tears of joy.

[Sunburned Lily]

The inexperienced male delights in the gentle touching of her snout to his-- she's accepted him, it seems, & he may now work to tighten the budding bond between them. Acnestis long ago imprinted on a cat of similar build to Schism; he recognizes her as one of his own, one to be courted, wooed & defended from any challengers. It is a more sudden & simple urge than true love between a couple, yet love all the same. Love at first sniff, in fact, when he had determined her female.

He rumbles in response to her words, pupils dilating, understanding the basic intent behind them.

Acnestis pauses a moment to carefully press his nose into her side. One, two deep draws of breath are taken. He snorts.  She seems exhausted. Would she be interested in his water? Exhaustion seems to weigh her down from her encounters with the settling in his stomach.

A final sniff is taken before he turns, taking a step or two in the direction of the river winding through the heart of his territory-- a territory he must patrol soon..

The beast's jaws part as he lets out an encouraging keen.