09-25-2018, 12:03 AM
[div style="margin: 0 auto; width: 60%; font-family: georgia; font-size: 13pt; text-align: justify;"][ essentially after rigel 'joined', due to the extent of his injuries, he fell into a coma for a few days. this oneshot is about his early life that takes place in his dream. no one is expected to reply 
]
He remembered the warmth that enveloped him, his siblings crawling and wiggling over him in a mass of paws and tails. The watchful gaze of his mother, his father watching from the corner of the shed he had been born in. While those memories flooded his mind, it did not help chase away the bitter cold that ate away at his bones. What little warmth he had came from his brother. The two were pressed against each other, trying to get as close to each other as they could. Being the two smallest of their litter, they were of no use to their owner. "They're to small to be hunting dogs, let alone fighting dogs," was what Rigel could recall the humans saying. It was not a day later were the three-month-old pups left in the middle of the woods inside of a cardboard box. For dogs with such short fur, the winter meant certain death.
When dawn broke, the two brothers would leave their box, scavenging the woods for what food they could find. While snow had not taken hold of the region, food was still scarce. A diet of dead bugs and bark did not fill their aching bellies and, at the end of the day, they returned to their box hungry and cold. The same routine continued on for two weeks, the pups having enough energy just to keep them alive. Rigel covered his ears as he brother cried and howled for their mother to come and take them home, but day after day, it became apparent their mother was not coming. Dawn broke once again, the pups awaking to the sound of panicked crows taking flight. Rigel was up and alert, peering over the edge of the box, looking in the direction of the noise. Panic began to well up in his hollow stomach. "Lecter, wake up!" Rigel kept his voice quiet, kicking his brother with a hind leg to wake his twin up.
A figure broke through the line of dense brush - Another dog. A savior? No. Something was off. Rigel could feel it, his brother growing tense as he appeared by his side. The dog that approached them appeared to be just as malnourished and starving as they were. Meat was meat, no matter what it was. The stranger stopped its advance, staring at the children with an expression that sent fear through their bodies. "Run," Lecter had whispered, but their bodies were frozen in fear. Suddenly, the dog charged, jaws gaping, hunger evident in their eyes. Yelling in fear, the two brothers scrambled to get out of their box, their long limbs getting tangled with one another. Rigel finally found his footing and made a run for the tree line. Glancing behind him, he found his brother was not following, but was caught in the hungry dog's grasp.
Lecter screamed out of pain and fear, twisting and snapping at the dog's muzzle, trying to free himself. Blood began to well up around his neck, his windpipe starring to crush under the pressure. Horror froze Rigel in his tracks. He was going to loose his brother all while he watched. No. He would not let that happen. As small and sickly as he was, Rigel felt a feeling overcome he had never felt before. His blood grew hot, his breathing began to speed up, and his body began to shake. Loosing what rational thoughts he had left, he charged. A pup of three months charged towards the much older, stronger dog without fear, hate and rage boiling in his eyes. Rigel slammed into the dog, sinking his needle-like teeth into their leg. The attacker laughed, slinging Lecter aside and wrapping its jaws around Rigel's neck, trying to pry the puppy off. His vision began to blur, the helpless cries of his twin brother echoing throughout his mind. "Better than dying of hunger." Closing his eyes, the pressure around his neck suddenly released, a large shadow over coming him.
Between fading in and out of consciousness, Rigel caught sight of yet another dog. This one was much stronger, less ravenous than the dog that attacked the brothers. From what the puppy could remember, the fight between to two strangers was brief, ending with the new, bigger dog standing over the dying body of the dog that had tried to eat them. Rigel faded back out, finally crashing from the intense adrenaline rush. Coming to only a few hours later, he saw Lecter tearing into a piece of prey, almost throwing up from eating too fast. His green eyes slowly lifted, noting the dark room they were in. Were they home? It did not seem so, but it appeared they had been brought to a den of some sort. Looking past his brother did he see the large dog laying in the corner, their blue eyes staring at Rigel curiously.
-
It had been four months since the incident. The dog that had come to their aid went by the name of Reyes, who help keep the two brothers alive since that day. Reyes vanished for weeks at a time without a just reason, but always left and returned with enough food to sustain the two pups. Rigel and Lecter pressed and pried Reyes to tell them where he went and who he was, but he never once broke, but instead told them, [i]"Time will tell."[/i] Within the span of those four months, Reyes taught the pups how to hunt small animals, how to use their teeth properly, and how to defend themselves. He became a mentor of sorts to them. While Lecter remained distant from Reyes, Rigel had become in awe of the older male. The doberman pup had treated their savior as if he was God himself. Rigel had never known anyone to care about them as much as Reyes did. The two had formed a bond. Over the next few weeks did Reyes begin to take Rigel out by himself, teaching the pup how to fight, how to manipulate, how to spy, and how to kill. While Rigel found it odd that Lecter was not learning this as well, he never voiced his opinion.
Reaching the age of eight months had the pups grown independent, able to hunt and protect themselves without Reyes' watchful eye. Reyes had left, this time vanishing for a month than his usual two weeks. However, not a day past the month did Reyes return, but had two other dogs following him. Lecter and Rigel stood next to one another, watching the two other strangers, both growling. This was their territory and only Reyes was allowed to be with them, not anyone else. "Silence," growled Reyes, the two brothers falling silent instantly. "This is Tess and Erica. They've come to help me take you home." The brothers both cast each other a glance. They were leaving? They trusted Reyes, and they obeyed their former mentor.
It took three days for the group to reach the abandoned village, but the boys were in awe. There were so many dogs. All shapes, sizes, and colors, all watching the brothers. Reyes led the brothers into a small building were he sat them down and told them all that there was to be told. It had appeared Reyes was much more than the two had ever imagined. The older male explained how he was the boss of over forty other dogs and the current civil war the waged between Reyes' group and that of another's that caused a split between the two groups. It all began to fuse together within Rigel's mind. Reyes had been training them for a reason. "I saved your lives, now you own me your own lives. You will serve as my deputies and my spymasters." And that was what they did.
By the time the two brothers reached eleven-months old had they conquered nine packs of rivals, annihilated platoons of enemy soldiers, and gather enough information to turn Reyes' pack into a super power. Lecter and Rigel had earned themselves name known by so many: The Hellhounds of Valor Mountain. They had grown from young, starving kids into monsters. It was only a matter of time before they grew out of control, turning into demons. In the end, Reyes had won the war and peace had returned to their home. By the time the brothers reached a year old, they began to mellow, their vicious reputation still in place, but no one had seen them since the war ended.
Late winter had finally rolled around when an unknown virus took hold of the massive pack. Many died by the dozens, including Reyes. The boss was one of the last to do, but went with bother Rigel and Lecter, his champions by his side. Before Reyes passed did he pass his leadership onto the two brothers, Rigel as the boss and Lecter as the deputy. By spring time, the virus fled, leaving a pack once two-hundred strong with only thirty left. How the two brothers survived, they did not know. The pack lived under Rigel and Lecter's command for little over a year, but Rigel hated it with every fiber of his core. He missed Reyes and it broke his heart every time he stepped up for enforce the pack. Two months had gone by when the bears attacked, diminishing their group from thirty to fifteen. Finally, from fifteen to seven. Rigel had failed Reyes, but he had never been trained to deal with opponents much more powerful than any dog he had faced. The bear had attacked the last of his pack, harming Lecter and disabling his brother. Closing in for the final kill, the bear charged towards Lecter, but Rigel blocked the bear, fighting and driving it back will all his strength. He rammed the bear, latching onto its short muzzle, and over the cliff the two went.
(present day)
Rigel's eyes shot open, panic shot through him like lighting. The sudden movement caused him to grunt in pain from his partially healed wounds. It took a moment, but everything came back, piece by piece. He needed to get back home. No, he couldn't. It was, perhaps, best if his brother and the others thought of him dead. Rigel had failed as a leader, and he deserved to be dead. Nonetheless, here he was. Rising to his paws, he looked outside of where he was sheltered, a figure standing before him. Blinking his eyes to adjust to the light, he gasped. The figure of Reyes stood before him, a smile of their face. Blinking again, the figure suddenly vanished, a figment of his imagination. Rigel sighed before he took a seat, eyes drawing up to the blue sky above. It was time to begin anew.
]He remembered the warmth that enveloped him, his siblings crawling and wiggling over him in a mass of paws and tails. The watchful gaze of his mother, his father watching from the corner of the shed he had been born in. While those memories flooded his mind, it did not help chase away the bitter cold that ate away at his bones. What little warmth he had came from his brother. The two were pressed against each other, trying to get as close to each other as they could. Being the two smallest of their litter, they were of no use to their owner. "They're to small to be hunting dogs, let alone fighting dogs," was what Rigel could recall the humans saying. It was not a day later were the three-month-old pups left in the middle of the woods inside of a cardboard box. For dogs with such short fur, the winter meant certain death.
When dawn broke, the two brothers would leave their box, scavenging the woods for what food they could find. While snow had not taken hold of the region, food was still scarce. A diet of dead bugs and bark did not fill their aching bellies and, at the end of the day, they returned to their box hungry and cold. The same routine continued on for two weeks, the pups having enough energy just to keep them alive. Rigel covered his ears as he brother cried and howled for their mother to come and take them home, but day after day, it became apparent their mother was not coming. Dawn broke once again, the pups awaking to the sound of panicked crows taking flight. Rigel was up and alert, peering over the edge of the box, looking in the direction of the noise. Panic began to well up in his hollow stomach. "Lecter, wake up!" Rigel kept his voice quiet, kicking his brother with a hind leg to wake his twin up.
A figure broke through the line of dense brush - Another dog. A savior? No. Something was off. Rigel could feel it, his brother growing tense as he appeared by his side. The dog that approached them appeared to be just as malnourished and starving as they were. Meat was meat, no matter what it was. The stranger stopped its advance, staring at the children with an expression that sent fear through their bodies. "Run," Lecter had whispered, but their bodies were frozen in fear. Suddenly, the dog charged, jaws gaping, hunger evident in their eyes. Yelling in fear, the two brothers scrambled to get out of their box, their long limbs getting tangled with one another. Rigel finally found his footing and made a run for the tree line. Glancing behind him, he found his brother was not following, but was caught in the hungry dog's grasp.
Lecter screamed out of pain and fear, twisting and snapping at the dog's muzzle, trying to free himself. Blood began to well up around his neck, his windpipe starring to crush under the pressure. Horror froze Rigel in his tracks. He was going to loose his brother all while he watched. No. He would not let that happen. As small and sickly as he was, Rigel felt a feeling overcome he had never felt before. His blood grew hot, his breathing began to speed up, and his body began to shake. Loosing what rational thoughts he had left, he charged. A pup of three months charged towards the much older, stronger dog without fear, hate and rage boiling in his eyes. Rigel slammed into the dog, sinking his needle-like teeth into their leg. The attacker laughed, slinging Lecter aside and wrapping its jaws around Rigel's neck, trying to pry the puppy off. His vision began to blur, the helpless cries of his twin brother echoing throughout his mind. "Better than dying of hunger." Closing his eyes, the pressure around his neck suddenly released, a large shadow over coming him.
Between fading in and out of consciousness, Rigel caught sight of yet another dog. This one was much stronger, less ravenous than the dog that attacked the brothers. From what the puppy could remember, the fight between to two strangers was brief, ending with the new, bigger dog standing over the dying body of the dog that had tried to eat them. Rigel faded back out, finally crashing from the intense adrenaline rush. Coming to only a few hours later, he saw Lecter tearing into a piece of prey, almost throwing up from eating too fast. His green eyes slowly lifted, noting the dark room they were in. Were they home? It did not seem so, but it appeared they had been brought to a den of some sort. Looking past his brother did he see the large dog laying in the corner, their blue eyes staring at Rigel curiously.
-
It had been four months since the incident. The dog that had come to their aid went by the name of Reyes, who help keep the two brothers alive since that day. Reyes vanished for weeks at a time without a just reason, but always left and returned with enough food to sustain the two pups. Rigel and Lecter pressed and pried Reyes to tell them where he went and who he was, but he never once broke, but instead told them, [i]"Time will tell."[/i] Within the span of those four months, Reyes taught the pups how to hunt small animals, how to use their teeth properly, and how to defend themselves. He became a mentor of sorts to them. While Lecter remained distant from Reyes, Rigel had become in awe of the older male. The doberman pup had treated their savior as if he was God himself. Rigel had never known anyone to care about them as much as Reyes did. The two had formed a bond. Over the next few weeks did Reyes begin to take Rigel out by himself, teaching the pup how to fight, how to manipulate, how to spy, and how to kill. While Rigel found it odd that Lecter was not learning this as well, he never voiced his opinion.
Reaching the age of eight months had the pups grown independent, able to hunt and protect themselves without Reyes' watchful eye. Reyes had left, this time vanishing for a month than his usual two weeks. However, not a day past the month did Reyes return, but had two other dogs following him. Lecter and Rigel stood next to one another, watching the two other strangers, both growling. This was their territory and only Reyes was allowed to be with them, not anyone else. "Silence," growled Reyes, the two brothers falling silent instantly. "This is Tess and Erica. They've come to help me take you home." The brothers both cast each other a glance. They were leaving? They trusted Reyes, and they obeyed their former mentor.
It took three days for the group to reach the abandoned village, but the boys were in awe. There were so many dogs. All shapes, sizes, and colors, all watching the brothers. Reyes led the brothers into a small building were he sat them down and told them all that there was to be told. It had appeared Reyes was much more than the two had ever imagined. The older male explained how he was the boss of over forty other dogs and the current civil war the waged between Reyes' group and that of another's that caused a split between the two groups. It all began to fuse together within Rigel's mind. Reyes had been training them for a reason. "I saved your lives, now you own me your own lives. You will serve as my deputies and my spymasters." And that was what they did.
By the time the two brothers reached eleven-months old had they conquered nine packs of rivals, annihilated platoons of enemy soldiers, and gather enough information to turn Reyes' pack into a super power. Lecter and Rigel had earned themselves name known by so many: The Hellhounds of Valor Mountain. They had grown from young, starving kids into monsters. It was only a matter of time before they grew out of control, turning into demons. In the end, Reyes had won the war and peace had returned to their home. By the time the brothers reached a year old, they began to mellow, their vicious reputation still in place, but no one had seen them since the war ended.
Late winter had finally rolled around when an unknown virus took hold of the massive pack. Many died by the dozens, including Reyes. The boss was one of the last to do, but went with bother Rigel and Lecter, his champions by his side. Before Reyes passed did he pass his leadership onto the two brothers, Rigel as the boss and Lecter as the deputy. By spring time, the virus fled, leaving a pack once two-hundred strong with only thirty left. How the two brothers survived, they did not know. The pack lived under Rigel and Lecter's command for little over a year, but Rigel hated it with every fiber of his core. He missed Reyes and it broke his heart every time he stepped up for enforce the pack. Two months had gone by when the bears attacked, diminishing their group from thirty to fifteen. Finally, from fifteen to seven. Rigel had failed Reyes, but he had never been trained to deal with opponents much more powerful than any dog he had faced. The bear had attacked the last of his pack, harming Lecter and disabling his brother. Closing in for the final kill, the bear charged towards Lecter, but Rigel blocked the bear, fighting and driving it back will all his strength. He rammed the bear, latching onto its short muzzle, and over the cliff the two went.
(present day)
Rigel's eyes shot open, panic shot through him like lighting. The sudden movement caused him to grunt in pain from his partially healed wounds. It took a moment, but everything came back, piece by piece. He needed to get back home. No, he couldn't. It was, perhaps, best if his brother and the others thought of him dead. Rigel had failed as a leader, and he deserved to be dead. Nonetheless, here he was. Rising to his paws, he looked outside of where he was sheltered, a figure standing before him. Blinking his eyes to adjust to the light, he gasped. The figure of Reyes stood before him, a smile of their face. Blinking again, the figure suddenly vanished, a figment of his imagination. Rigel sighed before he took a seat, eyes drawing up to the blue sky above. It was time to begin anew.
