The Wild Series: Reign of Ashes (Main Page/Pridelands)

PLOT




For thousands of years the humans ruled the kingdom of the wilderness, taming beasts as their own and felling trees and lakes as they saw fit. For thousands of years we suffered as the humans destroyed our worlds without a passing care, and hunted us relentlessly into the dusk of their time. In our final days, when the lakes had dried and the forests had burned, we held our hatchlings tight and called out to the world in one last cry for help. Yet our world never answered. Instead, another world had heard the call...

With fire and light it came, The Ethyrium, and stole the humans away. It's keepers glided down from the heavens on wings of flame and vowed to protect us. They told the world that the humans were gone, but to keep them at bay we must make a trade. They told us of a darker evil that would take the humans' place if the bargain was complete. They told us it could take thousands of years for this evil to come to our lands, and in the dawn of the humans' destruction... we agreed. When the deal was done, the keepers entrusted a number of gifts to us in good faith for our trade. Were given two things, a Key-- should we ever need to reach their world again, and a small group of their keepers-- should we need protect ourselves in their absence. And with these parting gifts, their world faded from our time. The Key was given to our most powerful leaders, and the keepers did their best to step in when trouble came.

Over time, the keepers began to fade from our minds, having nothing to fight and without the need to protect during our peace, their numbers dwindled until all that remained were whispers of their deeds. And the darkness that was promised to return soon became only a story to be told on stormy nights, as all those who had made the deal had since passed on. The animals took back the kingdom the humans had ruined, and forged a time of serenity for all. And the Key, having been passed from a thousand different owners... was lost. 

Until one fateful night, when a darkened soul began to relentlessly search for it, and a small band of heroes were thrown after him in a gamble to save our world yet again. These heroes pursued the dark one, and after struggles, losses, and deaths, they won. The Key was saved and the heroes were settled. Tyrin, heir to a kingdom of birds known as The Council, and a descendant of the Keepers, was separated from his mate Rinka, and their daughters when he was called to the Ethyrium. He was told there that he would grow in power to stop the terrors that loomed on the horizon, but was tricked by the Raven, Archeus, into trapping his soul in the Ethyrium forever. Archeus revealed himself as the bird who created the deal, and told Tyrin of the coming horrors, claiming that no one could stop them. After spending nearly eight years in the Ethyrium, Tyrin escaped. However, because he was already bound to the Ethyrium, the bonds connecting the two worlds were shattered and twisted, causing the Ethyrium's magic to escape with Tyrin. 

The powers of the Ethyrium seeped into the world, shredding the very time of the world and sending some of the heroes backwards to the time of the humans. And for those that were not taken, there seemed to be no hope of their return. The Council banded together with the other ruling forces and vowed to solve this riddle of time. And after three years of searching for answers, one day everything stopped. Somehow, a force from the Ethyrium had reforged the bonds between the worlds and stopped the leaks in time. And now, the heroes that had fallen through time have returned. Lost, and with only broken memories, they will find that much has changed in their absence. And with the heroes arriving too late to intervene, this kingdom has fallen under new rule once again. 

And so came, the Reign of Ashes.

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MAP

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SOUNDS


Below is a collection of ambient background sounds you can play in another tab while reading or writing to help set the mood or immerse yourself in the story.  Feel free to play or not play any of these videos anytime! More will be added in the future but to start, how about some nice forest sounds?

Forest




Beach




Thunderstorm

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CHARACTERS


Screen Name: Jaystep

Character Name: Drellan
Character Species: Grey Wolf
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Typical grey wolf markings, with a white undercoat and belly. Has brown eyes.
Personality Traits: Indignant, determined, and tough with everyone except his closest friends.
Parents: K'Rule, father. Annabelle, mother.
Siblings: Juryoku, Rose, and Vic
Mate: Najmah
Offspring: Raiya
Background Info: Once the alpha of the Northern Mountains pack, he returned to the current time with no memory of his past, and the fate of his pack and daughter remain a mystery. 


Screen Name: Jaystep

Character Name: Syrune
Character Species: Red Tailed Hawk
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Darker standard hawk markings, and stunning gold eyes. Has an apparent scar from her back to her left wing tip. 
Personality Traits: Fiercely independent, can be vain at times, and has a killer temper.
Parents: Unknown
Siblings: None
Mate: Unknown
Offspring: None
Background Info: Before the time rifts Syrune was mate to Finnican and one of the last Phoenix alive, she was taking a personal journey for bettering her personality when the rifts came. After which her fate remains a mystery.
Other: Phoenix/Keeper of Ethyrium


Screen Name: Jaystep

Character Name: Zarrock
Character Species: Harris Hawk
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Rusty-colored with varying shades of black, violet eyes.
Personality Traits: Wicked, cruel, insane, the list goes on.
Parents: Unknown
Siblings: Unknown
Mate: Unknown
Offspring: None
Background Info: Before the rifts, Zarrock attempted to overthrow the Council and use the Key to bring the darkest creatures of the Ethyrium into the world. He was stopped by the Phoenix and was gathering a force to fight again when time was broken.
Other: Dark Phoenix


Screen Name: Wildwing

Character Name: Rinka
Character Species: Peregrine Falcon
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Average body size, typical peregrine falcon markings and colorings. Her feathers are longer than average, a few of which poke out at abnormal angles on various parts of her body. (Mainly her head and chest areas, sometimes her wings depending on the day.) She has green eyes.
Personality Traits: Serious, worry wart, nurturing, honest
Parents: Falia (Mother, Deceased), Rokin (Father, Deceased)
Siblings: Finnican (Older Brother) and Fayru (Younger Sister)
Mate: Tyrin
Offspring: Nykoru (Son), Clayre (Daughter, Deceased), Ambyra (Daughter), Fyren (Son, Deceased)
Background Info: Left her home years ago to be with her mate. Around that time, through the power of an artifact called The Key, she was given the power to become a Phoenix. Three years ago, she was living happily with her family in The Council until it got attacked. Her status is currently unknown.
Other: Phoenix


Screen Name: Wildwing

Character Name: Finnican
Character Species: Peregrine Falcon
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Larger than average body size with well built muscles and traditional peregrine markings. His feather colorings are dark shades of blue-gray and the black speckles dusting his underside are large, closer together and numerous. He has an obvious scar at the base of his left wing, as well as smaller, more subtle scars on his talons, chest, back and head. He has yellow eyes.
Personality Traits: Charismatic, goofy, clumsy romantic
Parents: Falia (Mother, Deceased), Rokin (Father, Deceased)
Siblings: Rinka and Fayru (Younger Sisters)
Mate: Syrune
Offspring: None
Background Info: Left his home years before Rinka did and befriended Tyrin by saving him from a group of thieves. Eventually became a captain of The Council's guard before getting sent 10,000 years into the past. He returned three years after the time he disappeared with no memory of his past.


Screen Name: Wildwing

Character Name: Fayru
Character Species: Peregrine Falcon
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Smaller than average body size. Has traditional peregrine markings on head, back and tail feathers, black in color, but the rest of the feathers on her body are an extremely light cream color, almost white, and covered with small, spaced, black speckles. Her eyes are violet.
Personality Traits: Emotionally detached, over all calm demeanor, secretive, mistrusting of others
Parents: Falia (Biological Mother, Deceased), Rokin (Biological Father, Deceased), Gale (Adoptive Father, Status Unknown), Briell (Adoptive Mother, Status Unknown)
Siblings: Finnican (Older Brother), Rinka (Older Sister), Deltara (Adoptive Older Sister, Deceased)
Background Info: After realizing she was blind, her brother left her to be raised by a flock of goshawks rather than the falcons of the roost he left behind. Years later, after helping save the world from Zarrock, she become a council member and lived in The Council for a year before getting sent 10,000 years into the past. She returned three years after the time she disappeared with broken memories and...
Other: She is barren.


Screen Name: Wildwing

Character Name: Najmah
Character Species: Gray Wolf
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Slightly larger than average sized, stormy gray fur, darker (almost black) ears, streaks along shoulders and down her sides, as well as streak patterns down her tail. Darker fur around her dark blue eyes, lighter colored throat, forelegs and backpaws, as well as patches of her underbelly. There are sprinkles of light gray along the back of her neck, which look white against her dark fur. There are also dots of pale white around both her forearms.
Personality Traits: Aggressive, Overbearing, Surprisingly affectionate towards loved ones ...sometimes...
Parents: T'Sone (Mother), Harjack (Father, Deceased)
Siblings: Moonpelt (Half-Brother), Aimarra (Half-Sister, MIA)
Mate: Drellan
Offspring: Raiya (Daughter)
Background Info: Najmah was born the daughter of an alpha, sole heiress to the Northern Mountains Pack. Her mother, driven by an overpowering passion to protect her daughter, murdered anyone she saw as a threat to Najmah's saftey, including neighboring packs. When Najmah was around 6 months old (age equivalent to a 6 year old child), she was taken by wolves who defected from her mother's pack, rebels who were later known as the Snow Wolves. She spent quite some time with that group before certain events led to her being forced to survive in the outside world on her own for at least a year. She was only about 12 months old when this happened.


Screen Name: Wildwing

Character Name: Rose
Character Species: Gray Wolf
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Snow white fur with symmetrical light gray patches across her shoulders that connect across her upper back, light gray on the insides of her legs, the underside of her thick tail near the base. Her toes on her forepaws are light gray, as well as the fur across the top of her head. The top half of her ears are light gray while the bottom half are white. Her eyes are a soft crimson. Her gray furs appear to have a tint of red to them in certain lighting.
Personality Traits: Happy, charitable, naive, innocent
Parents: K'Rule (Father, Deceased), Annabelle (Mother, Deceased)
Siblings: Drellan (Brother), Juryoku (Sister), Vic (Sister, Deceased)
Background Info: Due to certain circumstances involving the notorious T'Sone and her pack, Rose lived the first year of her life on the run with her mother. The truth was, they should have died many times over, but they were saved by apparent miracles, which as Rose later found out, was the result of a being inside her named Lupa, also known as a Guide, or as Gryphons refer to those like her, a "Magi". For 12 months, Rose and her mother traveled the continent, trying to find their way back to their pack, the family they had been chased from. Then, after reaching the ruins of a human city, the two got separated. This city was where Rose bumped into Najmah, an extremely hostile wolf who had a connection with the Snow Wolves, the pack Rose and her mother had been trying to reach all this time. Najmah and Rose teamed up to find Annabelle. Later, they discovered that she died in one of the human buildings, so after mourning, the duo left the city for the Northern Mountains. Along the way, they happened upon Juryoku, Rose's long lost sister and Najmah's puphood frenemy. After the unexpected reunion, the trio made it to the Northern Mountains, where a lot of serious plot stuff went down.


Screen Name: Wildwing

Character Name: Thalak
Character Species: Grizzly Bear
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Dark brown fur with lighter brown lower jaw, tail, and underside. Has a large white patch on his underbelly. Has scars across his underside where fur doesn't grow from a fight against another male bear a long time ago. His eye color is honey.
Personality Traits: Serious, easily exasperated, part-time sass master
Parents: ???
Siblings: ???
Mate: Nope
Offspring: Probably
Background Info: Had his own territory in Central Pridelands before Agathar and the Shades invaded. He wasn't affected at first, but then when all the water started disappearing, he was forced to migrate East. It was during that time that he heard of the resistance and swore his loyalty to Queen Rinka.


Screen Name: Wildwing

Character Name: Kodi
Character Species: Eastern Timber-Gray Wolf
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Bulkier than a Timber, but not as much as a Gray. Has longer than average legs. Has grizzled grayish-brown coloration mixed with cinnamon. His chest and flanks are rufous. There is a dark gray patch of fur on the nape of his neck that looks like a wide, squashed arrow. The two sides of this arrow travel around the base of his neck and thin out halfway down. The top and bottom ends are both sharp points, with the bottom thinned together halfway between his shoulder blades. His eyes are the same color as a deer's pelt.
Personality Traits: Adventurous, Good-natured, Independent, Innocent in looks and speech patterns, Almost no filter to his words
Parents: [Unnamed]
Siblings: Tobi (Twin Brother) (MIA), (Unnamed younger half-siblings)
Mate: (Unnamed she-wolf)
Offspring: (Unnamed pups)
Background Info: Biological mother died when he was around a year old (12 year old in human years). His biological father took on a new mate, but then left Kodi and Tobi with her after a month or two. Despite having two yearlings dumped on her, their stepmother kept and looked after them.
When they came of age to start their own lives, Kobi and Tobi left their stepmother, who had found a new mate by then, with promises to visit once in a while. The twins explored territories together before eventually finding mates and parting ways, but they met every month and a fortnight to catch each other up on their lives. A year or two later, Agathar attacked in the West and when Shades started appearing, Kodi sent his mate and current litter East with another pack and went to search for Tobi and his family. He never found them. Instead, he ran into another group of animals, saved them from a bunch of Shades, and then traveled with them back East where he reunited with his family and joined Rinka's resistance. He currently lives in a den in the human rubble, in the same area as Raiya, with his mate and their third litter of pups.
Other: He is currently 5-6 years old (late 30s, early 40s). He is very active in the resistance. He is also used to rounding up reinforcements for when a certain she-wolf forgets to bring an army with her to battle. Raiya, I'm looking at you.



Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Moonpelt
Species: Grey Wolf (Canis Lupis)
Gender: Male
Physical Description: A smaller-than-average wolf with white fur and a peppery-faded black stripe running down his back. He also has vibrant blue eyes
Personality Traits: Rambunctious, Spontaneous, Nurturing, Goofball
Parents: Korvok (AKA Deathhowl, Father, Deceased) and T'Sone (Mother, Deceased)
Siblings: Najmah (Half-Sister), Aimarra (Full-Sister, MIA)
Mate: Hazelle (Deceased)
Offspring: Raiven (AKA Scout)
Background Info: After his birth, his father took himself and his sister under orders from his mother to be drown in a nearby river. His father, Korvok, took mercy and set the two pups in a small log and let them drift down stream and let Fate decide what would happen to them. A wolf mother, Vaelyra, who was mourning the loss of her pups stumbled upon the pair and took them back to their den near the Muckwaters. Although as Moonpelt and Aimarra grew up, their mother told them the truth about where they came from. Aimarra decided to get north to try to find her birth parents and too afraid to leave his best friend, nervously followed her out into the unknown. They came across a herd of elephants wondering the Grasslands for their summer migration towards the Northern Mountains. The alpha male, a gentle-hearted soul named Ku'Hani, took the two wolves under his trunk(?) and gave them safe passage to the Northern Mountains where they settled with Drellan and his pack after a series of events
Other: Moonpelt is just a nickname, his real name is A--*loud truck horn goes off* but everyone calls him Moonpelt. And after the Rifts his status is currently unknown, but he's presumably alive


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Aimarra
Species: Grey Wolf (Canis Lupis)
Gender: Female
Physical Description: A slender coal-black wolf who has silver stipple dotting her face, chest, back, tummy, and legs. She has deep green eyes.
Personality Traits: Serious, Reserved, Fiercely Loyal
Parents: Korvok (AKA Deathhowl, Father, Deceased) and T'Sone (Mother, Deceased)
Siblings: Najmah (Half-Sister), Moonpelt (Full-Brother)
Background Info: After her birth, her father took her and her brother under orders from her mother to be drown in a nearby river. Her father, Korvok, took mercy and set the two pups in a small log and let them drift down stream and let Fate decide what would happen to them. A wolf mother, Vaelyra, who was mourning the loss of her pups stumbled upon the pair and took them back to their den near the Muckwaters. As she and her brother grew older, their mother told them the truth about where they came from. Aimarra decided to get north to try to find her birth parents with her skittish brother in tole. They came across a herd of elephants wondering the Grasslands for their summer migration towards the Northern Mountains. The alpha male, a gentle-hearted soul named Ku'Hani, took the two wolves under his trunk(?) and gave them safe passage to the Northern Mountains where they settled with Drellan and his pack after a series of events.


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Liyana
Species: Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia)
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Average snow leopard markings save for she's a lot lighter in color with the dark spots on white fur. Her eyes are light blue, but are also so light they can seem white at a glance
Personality Traits: Intelligent, Patient, Mellow, Avoids Conflict
Background Info: Born high up in the mountains, she has always turned a blind eye to the conflicts on the ground below. When the Rifts happen her blissfully ignorant life was forever ruined and she's forced finally pay attention to how broken the world actually is.


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Laluna
Species: Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Born black as the night sky, her base coat is a dull dark brown with black and white markings, her face and chest area are more of a rich maple color with black specks on her chest
Personality Traits: Silent, straight-forward, vicious, excellent in combat
Background Info: Always alone and never one to wish to have the company of friends, Laluna has always hostile to those she is unfamiliar with. Being born far away for the Council's reach, she has no idea how to function in bird society. Tough after the Rifts, she seems a bit shady now.


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Kul'Hani
Species: African Elephant (Loxodonta)
Gender: Male
Physical Description: A very dull grey with his ear having very faint white tips. He has several scars from sparring with other bulls and fighting off predators from the Pridelands.
Personality Traits: Gentle, Patient, Very Intelligent, At one With the Earth
Background Info: He grew up listen to stories from his grandparents and his great grandparents about when the humans disappeared and the struggles of escaping their man-made cages. As the leader of one the largest herds of elephants, he takes them to and from the Muckwaters and the Northern Mountains. One particular summer, he lead two young wolves to the border of the Northern Mountains. Many moons and many seasons had come and gone and suddenly the water has vanished. Determined to keep his herd alive he his yet again making the great journey to find precious water.


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Naraa
Species: Dire/Great Wolf (Canis dirus)
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Large for a she-wolf and very muscular with bark-colored eyes; silver-snowy colored fur that fades to a charcoal color at the tip of her tail with one small white spot above each why that kinda makes it look like she has tiny eyebrows; has a many notable scars but the biggest one is one that drapes diagonally over her face from her left ear to right lower jaw with a notch taken out of her right ear.
Personality Traits: Head-Strong, Irrational, Loyal, Independent, Family/Pack-Orianted
Background Info: Growing up in the Howls made her a strong she-wolf with nothing to fear. Her grandfather is the Seeker and cares for him since he is too old to hunt for himself most days. She had faced many a foe and was often the victor--she deems herself practically a one-wolf-army but always relies on the strength of her pack. She got the scar across her face when she faced off against a lone polar bear that tried to claim the pack's prey stores for himself. She was very close to her sister (who was the Alpha's mate) and constantly blames the Alpha and his deceased son for her death--and often shares her angry with fellow Beta Kelldan. While patrolling she found a stray pup in the forest and decided to raise the she-pup as her own daughter since she hadn't wanted to seek a mate yet.


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: "Banshee" (Real Name: Eira)
Species: Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Average appearance for a female of her kind, most of her feathers are as white as snow save for the thick black spots scattering her back and wings; piercing yellow eyes; dons a brass and silver mask she crafted for herself when a tangle with a rival female owl left her face disfigured.
Personality Traits: Quite, Somber, Prefers to be Alone, Harsh Temper 
Background Info: She grew up a fairly normal life for an owlette with nothing really to fear. Once she left her parents hollow she followed her passion and became a blacksmith, crafting intricate masks and armor for other owls. She fell in love with another snowy owl and was ready to become his mate when she had learned he was already with another female. Eira had quickly broken up the engagement but the damage was down--the owl's true mate stormed into her blacksmith shop and proceeded to fight with her. What started as verbal turned physical and soon after the other female slammed Eira's face into her forge. After the scuffle cleared and Eira emerged the victor she realized the damage to her face--the feathering had taken most of the heat but her face would be scarred and her facial feathers would never grow back. So she crafted a mask to hide her mutilated face and to hide her shame of a male using her ((PS she's has long since straight up murdered that male)). She goes by the name Banshee now, taking the old human texts she would read about the solitary creatures to heart--and only considers the dire wolf Naraa as an ally.


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Velyria 
Species: Red Wolf (Canis rufus)
Gender: Female
Physical Description: A long slender she-wolf with large tail and paws. She is dark reddish-chestnut in color with a cream-colored chest and belly. She has amber colored eyes and her face and tip of her tail are starting to grey with age.
Personality Traits: Family/Pack-Oriented, Motherly, Compassionate, Patient 
Background Info: The great-grandaughter of Pack Matron Heira, the she-wolf has always taken her responsibilities and teaching from her mothers before her to heart. As a pup she was the black-sheep, preferring to stay with the elders and listen to their stories rather than to play and adventure. As she grew older she took on a mate and had several litters of pups while also adopting and orphans she came across. Sadly the swamp claimed a majority of her pups, and she refuses to talk about it. Her most resent set of pups she adopted was a set of Norther wolves she found in the river--a little she-wolf she named Aimarra and a boy she affectionately nicknamed Moon. The old she-wolf condensed her pack to a smaller area with her main camp being called Thornbrook because of all the dense thorny brush protecting the area. While taking a stroll to the Elder Tree she found a Norther wolf unconscious and has taken her in to help nurse her back to health. 


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Korra
Species: Black Panther (Panthera onca)
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Slightly smaller than the average male panther; big bright green eyes; deep black fur that shimmers a dark-dark violet color in the sunlight
Personality Traits: Princely, Kind of a Giant Dork, Suave, Courageous
Background Info: Growing up a sheltered prince, he never really left the panther territories without his father or about a dozen guards with him. His father was closely allied with the wolves that called the swamps home and often accompanied him to visits to meet with the Alpha, Velyria. There he befriended her son, a spunky white wolf nicknamed Moon, and the two got into all sorts of mischief together. The panther prince was there when his beloved friend and his sister set off with the elephants to find the place called the Northern Mountains and was always enthralled by the scenery the elephants would describe. "As a prince your place is here" his father would always say when Korra would talk about visiting there someday. As the prince was preparing to be king, his father vanished suddenly. Search parties turned up nothing and so young Korra was dubbed king in a hasty ceremony. It seems like overnight the poor prince lost everything--at first it was his father, the swamp around his home had finally died out enough to cause the fish to swim further into the swamps. Most of his subjects were either lost trying to go into the swamps for food or simply headed north, giving up on their new king. Korra stayed vigulant that his father would return and he, and the two guards that he could find, have been sulking around the swamp and managed to make it to Thornbrook. The young prince remains hopeful that his father is alive and is somewhat embarrassed that he "ruined" his father's kingdom in the few days he's been the King.


Screen Name: Ruki

Character Name: Thallus
Species: Black-Shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Average size and colors for one of his species. Light silver in color with black markings on his shoulders with a white neck and belly. Deep red eyes and a black-tipped beak with all but his center tail feather are white
Personality Traits: Silver-Tongued, Compassionate, Loyal, Humorous
Background Info: As a chick he was adopted by a soldier in Na'Thain's Kingsguard. Growing up he excelled in combat and scouting, the cream of the crop from his class. When he "graduated" Na'Thain himself personally appointed him to be Syrune's personal guard. The two were thick as thieves, and the two being so close in age and personalities, rumors spread that (before his reassignment to the Eastern Pridelands) the pair had a fiery romance. He protected the Pridelands until he heard rumors about the Council's fall and Na'Thain and Tyrin's death. He frantically made his way back home and along the way he bumped into Queen Rinka. The falcon, hearing stories of his combat skills, gladly welcomed him into her Queensguard. The kite is now traveling with the falcon queen, preparing to do whatever it takes to avenge his fallen king.



Screen Name: Earth's Eco

Character Name: Vex
Character Species: Peregrine Falcon
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Dark blue colored wings and tail-tip, mottled gray and cream underside and chest. He has dark yellow, almost orange feathers around his throat.
Personality Traits: Intelligent, strategic, strong willed. He is rather outgoing, though most of the time keeps a good reign on his many thoughts.
Parents: Not known
Siblings: Vix (Half Sister)
Mate: None
Offspring: None
Background Info: Not much is known about his background, other than that he was born somewhere near the Muckwaters.
Other: Fully supports the growing Anti-Phoenix Rebellion.


Screen Name: Earth's Eco

Character Name: Manik
Character Species: Peregrine Falcon
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Normal peregrine colors, with boldly blue tipped wings
Personality Traits: Honest, protective of those he loves, has a good humor, a bit slow to warm up to new friends, and sometimes a little far out in his ideas and ambitions.
Mate: Ninx <3
Background Info: Raised in an eastern roost, left home when he was quite young to explore.
Other: That's all


Screen Name: Earth's Eco

Character Name: Silence
Character Species: Yukon Wolf
Gender: Male
Physical Description: Large even for a Yukon wolf, with long shaggy dark grey fur and bright yellow eyes, and a black back left paw.
Personality Traits: Wise, somewhat gruff, closed-off and usually quiet, but will speak up for the truth.
Other: Mostly a loner, but will do well in small groups.


Screen Name: Earth's Eco

Character Name: Vashta
Character Species: Panther
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Slick black fur, yellow eyes. A notch in her right ear and a small gold ring in her left ear.
Personality Traits: Sassy, sophisticated, haughty, and self-centered.
Parents: ???
Siblings: To come?
Mate: ???
Offspring: ???
Background Info: Loyal guard to Panther Prince Korra


Screen Name: Earth's Eco

Character Name: Vix
Character Species: Peregrine Falcon
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Traditional Peregrine coloring except for slightly darker blue wingtips, and honey-gold eyes
Personality Traits: Bold (sometimes maybe too much), Intelligent, Outspoken, sometimes seen as uncaring about small things
Parents: ???
Siblings: Vex (half-brother)
Mate: None
Offspring: none
Background Info: Separated from her older half-brother as a young chick, Vix knows nothing of Vex's location or life, she only knows who she fights for, and wishes to defeat Agathar in the name of the Phoenix.
Other: Vix isn't short for anything (but it is inspired by the word Vixen, as well as her brother's name, Vex)



Screenname: SilverstarWarrior*

Character Name: Juryoku
Character Species: Gray Wolf
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Black fur, bright yellow eyes
Personality Traits: Highly aggressive toward new wolves, sees anything unknown as a threat. Headstrong, very stubborn, playful and friendly toward family and friends, protective, loyal
Parents: K'Rule (Father), Annabelle (Mother)
Siblings: Rose (Sister), Vic (Sister), Drellan (Brother)
Mate: Rude Wolf (Deceased)
Offspring: Only in Silv's dreams... #RIPRudeWolf
Background Info:
Other: doesn't forgive easy, will hold a grudge or claim she's right even if she's wrong to uphold her pride


Screen Name: SilverstarWarrior*

Character Name: Ninx
Character Species: Harris Hawk
Gender: Female
Physical Description: Large brown hawk with chestnut shoulders and bright yellow eyes.
Personality Traits: Doesn't take kindly to insults or annoying animals, harsh and stubborn.
Mate: Manik


Screen Name: SilverstarWarrior*

Character Name: Kurai
Character Species: Great Horned Owl
Gender: Female
Physical Description: sharp yellow eyes, feather tufts, "horns" above her eyes, brown feathers with a lighter underbelly that is ringed and barred.
Personality Traits: Battle-ready, smart, aggressive. Very protective of the little she cares for.
Other: Knows how to work with metal, wears a silver mask and talons.



Screen Name: Jaycrow

Character Name: Ki'thune
Character Species: Osprey
Gender: Male
Physical Description: dark brown wings with lighter tipped ends, a white chest containing rusty brown flecks of color and sharp hazel eyes accentuated by a V shaped pattern of white branching to the middle of the back of his head surrounding by brown. From his talons to his chest, roughly up to his beak without getting any broader past his wings, is a swathe of white speckled with small shades of rusty brown coloration that aren’t as prominent until light shines on it.  
Personality Traits: Kay’thun is seemingly antagonistic and cynical, but rather keeps to himself instead of communicating any discontent he may have. In all regards, he lets others believe what they will of him, as such he is usually calm and well communicative and kind to others, even if he still seems imposing or rough around the edges.
Parents: deceased
Siblings: deceased
Mate: none
Offspring: none
Background Info: Kay’thun comes from the eastern seaboard near what was once the Carolinas. He traveled further northward to find Rinka’s city after hearing rumors about the shades and mysterious entities coming from the Burned Lands. However, he left himself out of the impending war’s shadow, but now he feels an obligation to join for a fighting, despite his hesitation to do so.

---

Morning light danced off the dew covered leaves, each tree in the vast forest shimmered in the summer dawn. The brush was quiet to most ears, unmoving even, except for the small twitch of leaves as a young female wolf stalked forward. Her coat was a silverish grey, contrasting with her deep blue eyes as they focused on her distant prey.

Caribou!

She saw the creature fully now as it rounded a tree some fifty paces away, and so she dropped lower into her crouch to stay hidden. The caribou was average sized, with the traditional oak and honey colored fur. It seemed docile as its muzzle worked about the soft vegetation for a late breakfast. It was unaware of its hunter approaching from downwind, and that’s how the she-wolf wanted it. The caribou lowered its head for a final bite as the wolf charged.

But before white fangs tore into the animal’s neck, a flash of blue and grey swooped from the air in a steep dive. Equally as surprised as the caribou, the wolf yelped, missing her target as a bundle of feathers collided with her head, causing both of the animals to crash to the ground.

“Gah! What?!” The wolf spit dirt from her mouth as the caribou tore off into the wild. She flicked her ears with a snarl as she turned and spun around to see who had cost her the prey.

The collection of blue and grey feathers rapidly fluttered to his talons, his plumage prickling in self defense. The Peregrine Falcon let out a small hiss of frustration, "Hey! Watch where you're- .... Raiya?" 

The wolf froze as soon as she realized who she had accidentally pounced into, and after a moment a small grin broke out and she started to laugh. "Kale?!"

The falcon was still until the wolf began to laugh, and he let out a churr of his own, "I'm so sorry!" He started through laughter, "I thought you were hunting by the riverbed?"

Raiya chuckled some more while she stopped and sat for a moment to itch behind her left ear. She rolled her eyes softly with another grin. "Yeah well not everyone sticks to hunting assignments Kale."

The falcon's face feathers began to burn with heat, and he quickly looked away before glancing back at her. "I just like everything to be... organized..."

Raiya let out a small comforting giggle and nudged the smaller falcon with her muzzle, "Well come on, then! Let's you and I get back to camp. Rinka's probably made Moonpelt go off in search of mythical blue rocks. We'll go back out in another hour, and you can organize all the prey we catch according to weight."

Kale hopped forward as Raiya turned and began stalking back into the undergrowth, breaking into a smile after her. "Really?"

"No."

The falcon's shoulders dropped and his head fell a little. After a moment, he fluttered back after Raiya. "What about by species?"

"Kale- ...."

"Meh, worth a try."

"...Or perhaps you could organize them by color?" a voice inquired, shattering the silence that had followed the end of the conversation after only a moment.

Above the duo, branches from the clump of three trees behind them interlaced with each other to form a firm, solid canopy. The voice had come from directly overhead, but the owner could not be seen due to the lack of gaps between the tree limbs.

"Or maybe even by length?"

Finally, a female Peregrine Falcon slightly larger than the male, hopped over the edge of the layer of branches. She spread her wings into a glide and, as she descended, she tilted her body to the left and arced to face the two. She came to a stop in front of them and hovered in the air slightly above the wolf's eye level.

Rinka looked down on Raiya and Kale with a gentle expression on her face. Her eyes twinkled with humor and the corners of her beak were pulled back in a soft smile.

"Or maybe you could separate them by species, and then organize each species by weight? I, for one, think that would be very helpful to those who want a certain amount of something specific, like say, a plump rabbit half my size, and not have to take as long searching for it."

Wildwing wrote:"...Or perhaps you could organize them by color?" a voice inquired, shattering the silence that had followed the end of the conversation after only a moment.

Above the duo, branches from the clump of three trees behind them interlaced with each other to form a firm, solid canopy. The voice had come from directly overhead, but the owner could not be seen due to the lack of gaps between the tree limbs.

"Or maybe even by length?"

Finally, a female Peregrine Falcon slightly larger than the male, hopped over the edge of the layer of branches. She spread her wings into a glide and, as she descended, she tilted her body to the left and arced to face the two. She came to a stop in front of them and hovered in the air slightly above the wolf's eye level.

Rinka looked down on Raiya and Kale with a gentle expression on her face. Her eyes twinkled with humor and the corners of her beak were pulled back in a soft smile.

"Or maybe you could separate them by species, and then organize each species by weight? I, for one, think that would be very helpful to those who want a certain amount of something specific, like say, a plump rabbit half my size, and not have to take as long searching for it."

Kale instantly blinked upwards to face Rinka, giving a small, hopeful smile. "Maybe we will! .... But, not this time. Is Moonpelt coming? We're not far from the peak, but there's more mountain to climb before we're in place."

Raiya nodded affirmatively after smiling a greeting at Rinka, "Should we go over the plan again?"

Rinka gave a small chuckle at Kale's hopefulness, and then nodded as he moved on.
"I sent him ahead of us," she replied, "If things are going according to plan, he and a few others should be arriving at the peak soon, if they are not already waiting for us."

Then to Raiya, she nodded in reply. "Yes. It would be good to go over it once more. Kale, if you will?"

(I'll reply to this later tonight, maybe by that time Silver/Leaf will have come up with a character I can include, and also... I need to go over the plan again myself XD Gotta make sure we start off in the right direction, this is the Superbowl of Wild RP  )

Okey dokey! )

Wildwing wrote:Rinka gave a small chuckle at Kale's hopefulness, and then nodded as he moved on.
"I sent him ahead of us," she replied, "If things are going according to plan, he and a few others should be arriving at the peak soon, if they are not already waiting for us."

Then to Raiya, she nodded in reply. "Yes. It would be good to go over it once more. Kale, if you will?"

Raiya nodded in return, casting a quick eye to the looming mountain before looking back at Kale attentively.

"Right," Kale started, clearing his throat before beginning. From the folds of the feathers under his right wing he produced a small scrap of parchment paper and began unfolding it as he read. 

"So, from the meeting point at the base of the mountain, we camp close to the riverside and look for an area to hunt- er, well... we already did that... well from the second meeting point near the peak then, Moonpelt and Raiya will approach to small of the two towers and quietly dispatch of the the shade guarding the entryway while the Queen and Kale- er, that's me- okay so you and me use the cloud cover to reach the top of the second, taller tower. Um, I would point them out but the clouds are too low for us to see the towers until we get to near the peak... But then Kale and- you and I take out the shade at the top of that tower and work our way down, silently. Now we don't know which tower the disk piece is in but Raiya and Moonpelt will be clearing their way up the first tower. The first pair to find the disk shard should immediately return to the top of each tower where we will be able to see each other. If Moonpelt or Raiya found the piece I will fly over to them and take it while you, being more combat experienced and also a Phoenix, clear out the reminder of the tower the wolves will have just climbed until we can safely descend. If you and I find the piece first we will then go and assist the wolves. We escape from the wolves' tower and assuming the guards have not been alerted we will simply move away from the towers and return to our base camp here at the bottom of the mountain. If we are incurred upon by the shades or they call for backup, Raiya will have set up our ... secondary escape option, before entering her tower. Then- "

Raiya let out a chuckle, interrupting Kale with a nudge. "Come on! Say it's name!"

Kale paused, letting out a sigh and folding the parchment back under his wing. "The... Mooncannon will be waiting in the treeline nearby. Unless it were to be crushed by a tree or otherwise, hopefully, destroyed in a fiery blaze...  If we have to use that, then we'll have to think on the fly. Probably literally... Uh, is everyone up to speed? If something happens, grim as it may be, we have to get this shard. It's the last one. I'll take it back to my hollow and let you know when I've assembled the device. Then... everything changes..."

Raiya nodded, eyes burning with excited determination, "We get mom and dad back. And all the others."

Kale glanced at the wolf, then back to Rinka. "Yes. With this last piece I can repair the Raven's tracking disk, and we will know exactly were and when the others are... Along with... any other... missing ones.." The falcon trailed off, trying not to look Rinka in her eyes.

(Kale is so adorable now  He gets nervous okay? XD)

Rinka watched Kale as he took out the parchment and listened carefully as he read what was on it, going over certain points in her head as he went. She cracked a smile every time he fumbled and patiently waited for him to pick up where he left off every time.

As for the "Mooncannon", she had only had a glimpse of it while it was being created. Being the busy Queen she was, she had neglected to ask what it actually did. That, added with the way Kale seemed so hopeful about it possibly being destroyed, made her feel a bit uneasy about relying on it as a back up escape plan.
She made a mental note to ask for details about it later as the discussion continued.

She smiled at Raiya, honestly happy for her. Then she turned back to look at Kale, her smile becoming a pained one. Her eyes showed the sorrow in her heart, a look that had become a common one for her during the past three years. But mixed in that sorrow was a glimmer of hope.

Noticing the way Kale was trying to avoid her gaze, her smile softened and she turned away.
"Thank you for going over the plan once more," she said, "Alright. I am flying ahead now. We can start the mission at any time, so if you two still need to shake off some pre-mission nerves before then, you are welcome to resume your hunt. I will be waiting at the peak, hopefully with Moonpelt, so we can start once you arrive. Is this okay?"

Jaystep wrote:(Kale is so adorable now  He gets nervous okay? XD)

(Indeed he is! XD)

Wildwing wrote:Rinka watched Kale as he took out the parchment and listened carefully as he read what was on it, going over certain points in her head as he went. She cracked a smile every time he fumbled and patiently waited for him to pick up where he left off every time.

As for the "Mooncannon", she had only had a glimpse of it while it was being created. Being the busy Queen she was, she had neglected to ask what it actually did. That, added with the way Kale seemed so hopeful about it possibly being destroyed, made her feel a bit uneasy about relying on it as a back up escape plan.
She made a mental note to ask for details about it later as the discussion continued.

She smiled at Raiya, honestly happy for her. Then she turned back to look at Kale, her smile becoming a pained one. Her eyes showed the sorrow in her heart, a look that had become a common one for her during the past three years. But mixed in that sorrow was a glimmer of hope.

Noticing the way Kale was trying to avoid her gaze, her smile softened and she turned away.
"Thank you for going over the plan once more," she said, "Alright. I am flying ahead now. We can start the mission at any time, so if you two still need to shake off some pre-mission nerves before then, you are welcome to resume your hunt. I will be waiting at the peak, hopefully with Moonpelt, so we can start once you arrive. Is this okay?"

"Understood." Kale nodded, while Raiya gave an agreeing grunt as she had begun grooming the mud off of her front paws. The young wolf continued licking while Kale dug his talons into the dirt and pushed off the ground, fluttering a short distance up to a nearby branch. As soon as the falcon moved to the familiarity of the trees, he began scanning again for prey and keeping watch in the direction Rinka had begun flying.

Once Raiya was finished she padded over to the base of the tree and looked upwards for Kale, barely spotting him between the leaves. "I'll catch us something real quick, you keep watch. Then we can eat on our way up."

"Okay." The falcon agreed, absentmindedly removing his parchment and skimming over the plans once more. He barely noticed Raiya leaving as he worriedly ran through each possible outcome or each action he had planned, trying to decide which was more likely. It seemed like only moments had passed by when Raiya finally called back up to him, a pair of rabbits in her jaws. After a quick few bites and a drink from the creek, the wolf and falcon were on their way to the peak.

(Waiting for everyone to meet up once Silver/Leaf decide on a character.  )

Meanwhile



It's finally happening. We're supposed to meet with a Captain in the Southern Coast by next moon. Syrune is taking us with her, and I don't think we're coming back. Whatever lead we have on Tyrin this time must be huge. The way she was acting... we're close. And that means no more Dragons....

Haven't decided if I'm taking this journal with me or not, I don't feel the need to write as much nowadays. 

Maybe we're going to see mom this time.


Ambyra ran through her last journal entry one last time in her head as she banked left, soaring across the tips of willow trees. In front of her flew Syrune, outlined against the moon were her russet-colored feathers and small flecks of white that were barely visible in the cover of midnight. The russet and bark colored feathers extended on Syrune down to her slightly longer than average tail feathers. The tops were traditional brown, but the underside of these steering feathers distinguished her kind with a deep red hue intermingled with tawny brown. Ambyra met her gaze for a brief moment as Syrune flashed her amber-gold eyes back towards the younger hawk. This was common on night trips, as Ambyra herself was much more visible. 

A Red-tail herself, Ambyra also had reddish hues and tawny highlights on her tail feathers. The rest of her, she had come to notice, was not traditional at all. Unlike nearly any Red-tail she'd met, her feathers were entirely the opposite. Her form was dominated by moth-white feathers and flecks of regular brown and russet shining through mostly during molting season, when the white ones were shed. Instead of being burdened with this difference, Ambyra had decided early on that it was a gift. A mask, rather. At first glance whether in flight or not, she did not appear to be a Red-tail at all. The only other thing on her that was not distinctly Red-tailed were the lighter shade of tan on her legs and talons, the only look she inherited from her mother.

There it was again, mother. Ambyra realized. It wasn't often that she thought about Rinka, but in the past few months she could tell a change was on the wind. The whispers of a Peregrine Falcon in the East making daring rescues. Saving birds and hunting Shades. To any other it would be inspiring, but to Ambyra it was infuriating. All this time she wondered, if the rumors were true and Rinka were alive, why had she not contacted Syrune? Why had she not inquired about Ambyra and Nykoru, her two chicks? Two of four, Ambyra reminded herself with a jolt. A second jolt of reality came when Syrune let out a short hiss through her beak.

"Ambyra, focus. We're close. Nykoru give me till the moon touches the trees, then you clear the top. Ambyra the bottom. If you hear my signal, come in early. Otherwise, like we planned." 

Ambyra blinked herself out of her thoughts and gave a grunt of understanding as she took in her surroundings. Syrune had begun a slow dive, weaving through a gap in the trees. Ambyra followed the older bird as she snaked through the low branches, Nykoru behind the both of them. (Not saying he's slow, just don't want to rp your character without your permission, Wild XD)

A soft glow of candlelight signaled they had nearly reached their destination. Once out of the twisting trees, the land had broken open to a small meadow beside the tendrils of swampland. Nestled into the side of the meadow was an unusual, glowing structure. Ambyra studied it closely as she set down at the base of the treeline, hiding her feathers from the structure as she and Nykoru waited just inside the undergrowth. Syrune went on ahead, gliding towards the building.

The structure was made almost entirely out of woven branches, likely sown together by an owl or perhaps a beaver family. There was an obvious front doorway from which the soft light spewed, lighting part of the meadow. From the open doorway stretched the rest of the woven building. There two more openings on the bottom half of the building, smaller though, and likely windows Ambyra deduced. A second set of small openings rested near the top of the building, they marked the second floor and would be Nykoru's destination in a few minutes. Ambyra focused on the glow of light pouring from the windows and doorway, tilting her head to better hear the ever-growing sound of birds from inside the woven building. A tavern. Ambyra decided. The discreet location, sounds of ruckus, general appearance, and the fact that it was busy at this time of night told her all she needed to know about this place. She briefly wondered why Syrune had left this bit of information out, but decided she must of done it in an attempt to preserve what little 'innocence' she believed was left in the two 'chicks'. It was one of many things Syrune did to mother the two.

That word again...

Ambyra focused on watching Syrune, glancing over at Nykoru to make sure he was paying attention as well. "Get ready, moon's getting lower."

---

Syrune lighted down a few feet from the Tavern entrance, waiting a moment at the edge of the light for someone to step out. Almost as soon as she set down, a figure approached from the doorway. Syrune stepped into the light to meet the figure, assuming a facade of kindness as she did. A friendly smile broke out across her beak as she stepped up to meet the other bird. He was a larger, broad-framed, black-shouldered Kite. 

"Well hey there! My, is this the Wild-Winged Inn or The Silver Star? I'm not quite sure which tavern I'm-" Syrune started, fidgeting with a talon while she glanced over the Kit's shoulder.

"It's the Star. Name?" The Kite asked, stern expression on his face while stared at her bluntly.

"Oh. Apologies! I'm Kurosa! I'm from Nighthollow, in the Howls. We don't have many Taverns that way so I wasn't sure if there was maybe a list, or...?" Syrune inquired, keeping up her innocent smile as she looked around. 

The Kite rolled his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. "Yes miss. There is. And I don't see Kurosa here at all, so maybe you should 'mosey' back to Nighthollow-"

Syrune blinked in pretend shock, "What? My name isn't there? Oh but I told everyone I was coming! Could you look again maybe? It must be down there somewhere... Oh, I know! It's probably covered by all the blood!" She giggled sweetly.

The Kite glanced down at the small piece of parchment in his talons while Syrune spoke, blinking in momentary confusion when the hawk mentioned blood. "Wait, what b-"

As soon as the Kite glanced up in confusion, Syrune raked a set of talons across his throat with a short hiss. The Kite began to cry out in horror, but Syrune then wrapped those same talons around his beak. 
"Nope. Don't cry out. Walk to the treeline and die quietly." She growled, her gold eyes flashing with an orange glow. 

The Kite, who had been attempting to scream, ceased immediately when Syrune began to speak. His eyes filled with terror until the hawk's eyes flashed. His own eyes flashed orange a moment later, and the fear fled from his body. The Kite blinked, and as soon as Syrune released him he began walking slowly towards the treeline opposite Ambyra and Nykoru, who watched inquisitively.

With the entrance clear, Syrune dropped the friendly manner, wiped the blood from her talons, and stepped into the rowdy Tavern. 

(If anyone wants to rp a 'rough and tumble' mercenary bird or otherwise cliche 'bad side of town bar scene' bird, feel free but understand that the death trio don't want to leave witnesses. XD)

(I was waiting for the same thing. )

---

(Ooh! Death Trio! I like it!)

(Also, I appreciate the tavern names )

---

Nykoru watched until the dying Kite disappeared into the treeline. The light smirk on his face that had appeared after watching the magic of "Glare" faded as his orange eyes flickered to the lowering moon. It could not move any slower.
The Red-Tailed Falhawk shifted his weight from one bright yellow talon to the other, flexing and clenching the one that hovered slightly above the ground as he did. He repeated this process while glancing from the moon to the top level of the building and back. Patience was not one of his virtues. He knew that just as well as the others in his small family of three.

It wasn't hard for outsiders to believe he and the other two were related. Scratch that, it wasn't hard for them to believe he and Syrune were related at first glance. It was true that he had inherited more from his mother than Ambyra had, such as the notch in his upper beak near the tip, the longer wings and tail, the black wing and tail tips, and the general shape of the head markings that defined a Peregrine Falcon. But even so, the physical traits passed down by his father were very pronounced. He was broad in shape, his bill short and dark, his wings thick and his broad tail a maroon color with a white band at the very end. His plumage was dark brown with small streaks of darker brown and red patterned all across his backside. His head feathers, or more specifically, his Peregrine markings, were maroon, the same shade as his tail. His underside, including his chin and the sides of his neck, were a dark cream, save for the dark brown band across his belly, and his underbelly and shaggy leg feathers were covered in dark brown and slate grey spotting.

He found it funny how he looked more like Syrune, who he wasn't even related by blood to, than his own sister.
Realizing the moon was within seconds of touching the trees, Nykoru looked at said sister through the corner of his eye.
"Be careful, okay?"

"Well hello miss! Can I buy you something?"

"Whew, look at you darlin'!" 

"What are you doing drinking here? You know I've got a nice hollow..."

"Hey Red-Tail, show it off!"


Syrune moved through the crowd of dozens as she glanced, un-phased, around the spacious interior. Countless varieties of despicable birds of all breeds and types made numerous remarks to her as she sifted through the pond of desperate faces. She neither responded to any nor even looked in their direction as they spoke, angering some and bemoaning others. One brushed wings with her in an attempt to make her stop and she very nearly lost focus and broke his neck then and there, but her decisive coolness won out as she made it to the wooden counter. Amidst the rowdy noises and sounds of laughter and talking, a small group of hawks and owls stood on a raised circle of stone in the back corner of the room, wielding hollowed wood pipes and stringed stick instruments from which they sent out happy tunes. 

Over the music and voices, Syrune picked out the sound- or rather lack of sound, coming from the counter. Whomever was to be serving bowls of Elderberry and Grape juices had left their station, most likely to attend to some small issue. Luckily for Syrune, she had not come to drink from the carved-log of a counter-top, but to meet someone. She stopped at the counter, hopping onto one of the many perches that stuck out from the log as she waited. She shut her eyes to focus on the voices, listening for tones that would be odd or out of place. She also listened to lack of noise. A Tavern should never be quiet, and if there were quiet patches in the sea of noise, that meant someone was dead, sad, or plotting. 

The sound of talons scraping on wood caused her eyes to snap open. A tall, older snowy owl male had just settled in the perch next to her. Just as Syrune opened her beak to tell him off, the owl placed a talon on the counter. When he removed it, a small piece of parchment paper lay where his talons had been. The Red-Tailed hawk let out a small sigh of relief and casually took the paper in her own talons, looking straight on over the counter to the stacks of bowls, and not at the owl to raise no suspicion. Once unfolded, Syrune glanced down at the paper and looked at the words within. After a moment of confusion, she turned to face the owl. 

"It's gibberish." She stated, her voice calm and seemingly bored to any who would overhear.

The owl shook his head, looking away from her and at the piles of dirty bowls behind the counter. "It's coded."

"Why give a coded message to me yourself?" Syrune asked, her eyes briefly scanning the crowd.

"It's not from me. It was intercepted. I made a copy." The owl informed her, never making eye contact.

"What's the code them?" Syrune asked, sliding him back the piece of paper without looking.

"You prey's getting bolder. It says to meet him. Not to trust anyone. Place called the Grove of Wardens."

Syrune blinked, still not facing the owl as her face frowned in confusion. "Don't know it. He knows that. Who did he send it to?"

The owl chuckled lightly, glancing over at Syrune for half a moment. "Who do you think?"

Syrune let out a low sigh, glancing over at the nearby window to try and read the moon position. "It's been three seasons. Why send her this? He doesn't even know where she is. I don't even know where she is."

"He does. You think he wouldn't keep an eye on her?" The owl questioned, eyeing a passing falcon and following them with his head.

Syrune shook her head lightly, glancing once more at the window. "Thank you for the message. Leave through the window to my left as soon as I get up."

The snowy owl raised an eyebrow questioningly, "The door's not an option?"

Syrune did not answer as she hopped off her perch, trusting that the owl would move as she commanded and knowing that if he didn't... well, she did warn him. 

As soon as her talons touched the ground the males were on her again, seeing the owl head to the window giving them courage that they would win her over when he could not. She held up a talon to stop the first hawk who strutted up, wings swaying to the light-hearted music.

"Heeeeeyyyyy, look at-" He paused upon seeing her cautionary talon.

Syrune's friendly demeanor shifted as she let out a sigh and cleared her throat. She looked around her at the crowd for a moment before raising her voice over the music. "Hey everyone! Eyes up here!"

At first, most birds ignored her, even the musicians kept playing when some of the birds turned to face her. Some of them seemed confused, angry, or thought it was funny, but after a few moments the music began to slowly stop as more and more turned to see what this she-hawk wanted.

Syrune let out a boisterous laugh, glancing around to rile the crowd up, "Who likes to party, right?!"

The crowd instantly cheered, hooped, and hollered at her comment, letting out loud sounds of agreement. 

"And hey, do we know how to party! I mean, we're the baddest around, right?! We're mercenaries, thieves, and hey- some of us have broken an egg or two, right?" Syrune asked, laughing as one of the hawks got close. She threw a wing around him in a hug, pulling him closer to her body as she continued. The male hawk churred, looking over her feathers as she continued. The crowd roared in agreement at her last question, some starting friendly pushing pecking.

"The point is- " Syrune stopped to laugh, grinning as one of the males started nuzzling her neck. "The point is, we're all killers here! Right?!"

The crowd cheered again, hooping and chanting as they began to celebrate. As they continued agreeing, Syrune's smile dropped, her eyes becoming dark as she looked around. Her voiced dropped  into nearly a whisper as she looked around her at the thieves, killers, and egg-breakers.

"...That's all I needed to hear." She whispered, eyes turning downward in a glare, and her beak drawn in a hiss. Outside, the moon had just begun to dip into the treeline when Syrune grabbed the male hawk nuzzling her feathers and shoved him to the ground, pushing the one around her wing away from her and stabbing a talon into the grounded male's neck. Each and every murderous, filthy bird left in the Tavern was about to die.

The second the moon touched the treetops, Nykoru spared his sister a fleeting glance as he leapt off the ground and dashed for the sky. In a very short time, he had reached an altitude just above the top of the building. He soared across the meadow, his eyes on the open window he was swiftly approaching. He could see several birds mingling just inside, laughing boisterously with each other as they thrust their mugs into the air, the liquids inside spilling out with every harsh movement, as if they did not have a care in the world.

Nykoru stretched his wings out into a glide, angling his body for a perfect entrance into the building. Cutting through the air at a good speed, he focused on the two hawks nearest to the window, the first he would reach.

"Hey!" he barked. The instant their heads snapped towards him, he slammed into them full force, his feet clamping onto their foreheads and his rear talons driving into their eyes. The hawks were dead before they hit the ground with him on their heads.

Nykoru calmly surveyed the hallway as those in the immediate area, who had the presence of mind to realize two of their own had been killed, stared at him in shock. His gaze turning on these with clearer heads, he smiled softly, released his hold on the deceased and charged, proceeding to slaughter every bird in sight.

Ambyra soared through the entryway at the same time she heard her brother's attack begin above, and for a half a moment, she nearly faltered at the sight. Instead of a rowdy Tavern full of boisterous birds and seedy sell-talons, she discovered literally the entire Tavern in a massive brawl. Syrune whisked through them like a phantom, dodging blows and cutting throats so quick it almost seemed they were never whole to begin with. Half of the birds weren't even fighting Syrune, but each other instead. Apparently a fight was a fight. Idiots.

Ambyra was on them in seconds, joining Syrune in the chaos and tackling the first group of birds she could get at. She landed talons first on a large Barn Owl and promptly wrapped those talons around his head and twisted his neck, using that momentum to push off and over the bowl thrown at her head from another bird. That bowl smashed into the face of a Falcon behind Ambyra and the bird who threw the both had the base of his neck stabbed by Syrune. Ambyra hopped onto a table nearby to avoid a pair of fighting White Hawks, and immediately ducked to dodge the talon swipe of another bird opposite her who had just jumped onto the table as well. She noticed a curved dagger in his other set of talons and rolled to the side of him, managing to stay on the table as she snatched it from his and rammed it up his chin. Then, she noticed something interesting...

The band, now terrified and watching the horror unfold before them, slowly stopped playing their song, the last flute player giving a scared, sad toot with his whistle before bowing his head. Half a second later, a curved dagger sailed next to his head and buried itself into the wall nearby. The young hawk glanced over in terror at the direction the dagger had come from, seeing a beautiful white hawk with a red tail with her eyes locked in his direction.

"Hey! Who said you could stop?!" 

The flute player's feathers puffed up, doubling his size as fear took hold. With a panicked glance among themselves, the band began frantically playing a more rapid version of their song from earlier.

Through the music, Ambyra and Syrune began working together, pushing the birds attacking them back from the entrance as they waited for backup from Nykoru as he finished his scuffle above. Neither of the birds had so much as a scratch.

(Oh, that poor band XD)

Bodies littered the hallway and every room on the upper floor. Dislodged feathers were still slowly settling to the ground as Nykoru sidestepped a blow from a very tipsy Kite.

"Youuu thhhhink," the last bird standing slurred as he stumbled in the younger Falhawk's direction, "You cann beeaaat mee?" The Kite hiccupped and tilted heavily to the side, losing his footing for a second and almost collapsing right there.

Nykoru tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. A part of him wanted to wait a moment and watch to see if this Kite would make a bigger fool of himself. But, hearing the ongoing commotion downstairs, he figured the girls would rather finish this sooner rather than later.

"Whaaat aaare you-" the Kite hiccupped again in the middle of his sentence, now tilting to the other side, "Waaitin' ferr? I'lll kiiill-"

With a dark blur and a flash of talons, the Kite's neck split open, blood spurting from the wound as he fell to the ground. Nykoru did not look back as he headed for the stairs. The sounds of fighting and speeding music grew louder as he approached the opening in the floor. He had passed the final room on his way, just setting his bloodied talon on the first step, when he froze in place. He focused his hearing solely behind him and waited, not moving a muscle. It took several heartbeats to confirm he had been right to stay put. The sound was light, but something had definitely moved in the room he had passed. In a flash, Nykoru burst through the open doorway, knocking over the bird that had been about to peek through from inside. With his talons, he pinned its wings against the floorboards.

"NO!!" the bird screamed desperately just as he brought his beak back for the killing blow.

Nykoru froze against his will. He couldn't help it. All his life training, training to be merciless, training not to make any mistakes, training to tie up any and all loose ends, training to do whatever was necessary to preserve his life and the life of his family, and still, even now, when his family was waiting on him, he hesitated. All because this bird was female.

This she-bird, a white hawk, was struggling to pull her wings from under his weight, tears in her terrified grey eyes as she scrabbled futily at his underside with her small talons. She was young, younger than him. Somewhere in her early juvenile years, to be more precise.

"Please!" she begged, now looking him in the eyes as tears rolled through the corners of her eyes, sliding down the side of her head, "P-Please! Don't hurt me, don't-! I don't want to die, I-I don't-! Daddy! DADDY!! HELP ME, PLEASE!!"

Nykoru stared down at the young she-hawk as she began to cry for her father, only feeling numb inside. He shouldn't have been surprised. This world was already screwed up as it was. What father wouldn't take his young, weak daughter to a tavern in the middle of nowhere?

For a long moment, he didn't move and just let her cry. Then, finally, he lifted his talon off of her right wing, causing her cries to catch in her throat, and set it back down against her right shoulder. He smiled down gently at her and held that shoulder in comfort.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered kindly, "It's okay."

Like a spell had been cast, the young she-hawk quieted down and stopped struggling. She sniffled and looked into his soft eyes. He could still see she was scared, but, despite all he knew she had seen him do, he could also see the trust forming in her eyes. The kind of trust only the innocent and naive could provide. He hadn't known there were still birds like that in this world.
His smile softened and, in reply, the fear in her eyes began to fade. He lifted his other talon off of her left wing and set it gently against the side of her head. Still smiling kindly, he moved his talon to the back of her head and, with a sharp movement, snapped her neck. No other sounds were made.

Nykoru stepped off of she-hawk, his smile gone. He gazed down at her unmoving form for a few heartbeats before lifting his eyes to survey the room. He had no idea how he had missed her, but he didn't want to risk overlooking more witnesses. So he searched every possible hiding place before finally stepping back through the doorway. Then, just as a precaution, he did the same for the other rooms on this floor, trying not to take too much time with his search. When he finished, finding no more survivors, he ran for the stairs and dove through the floor's opening. He grabbed a smaller hawk immediately at the bottom and threw him into the talons of three battling birds before banking right, slashing the throat of a Barn Owl as he passed.

(XD)

"Top's clear!" Ambyra noted, calling to Syrune at the sight of her brother. And we're almost done down here.
The two she-hawks worked in synchronization, timing blows and cuts in coordination with each other to speed the process up. One by one the birds came at them. One by one the birds died. The two began kiting some of them towards Nykoru, trying to box them in as the numbers began to dwindle. Only one more group or so, let's finish this.

(This Tavern scene is just about wrapped up, then we'll get back to Rinka, and finish that one at the same time we finish the other rp, which is also starting to wrap up)

Okey dokey!)

Nykoru had his side covered, expertly dodging a blow if any bird managed to survive long enough to throw one. He was fast, darting from the left to the far right to pull down and end those who tried to escape. As the body count grew higher, greatly outnumbering the living, the panic grew and, too late, the escape attempts grew in frequency.

Five left. Four-three. Two. One.

The final bird was a male Goshawk, who was rapidly backing away from Ambyra and Syrune, not realizing he was the last one. He stopped right in front of Nykoru, who was close enough to hear the defensive growl resonating in his throat. The Goshawk crouched slightly, poising to charge the females. Smiling softly in amusement, Nykoru reached forward and grabbed one of his legs just as he leapt forward. With a pathetic squawk, the Goshawk pitched forward and fell right on his beak. Not missing a beat, Nykoru yanked the hawk back towards him before jumping on the back of his neck.

The Goshawk violently flailed beneath the young Falhawk for three heartbeats before finally going still. Nykoru stepped off the body and calmly walked up to meet his sister and adoptive mother. He stopped in front of them and smiled. Then, realizing the tavern wasn't completely silent like it was supposed to be, he frowned and shifted his gaze to the terrified troop of musicians, playing tunes at speeds rivaling a Peregrine Falcon's dive.

"...They're still playing?" he asked in confusion. He figured they would have to die too, as they were potential witnesses. But he wasn't in a hurry to kill them just yet, because he also figured since they didn't try to escape a few minutes ago when there were a lot more living bodies to hide among, then they wouldn't try to escape now.

Ambyra had been preening around her left set of talons when Nykoru asked his question, as she raised her head to reply with a chuckle, Syrune cut in with a roll of her eyes. 

"For some reason, Ambyra wouldn't let them be done with it. Put them out of their misery, please." Syrune ordered, glancing around the room afterwards and returning her gaze to Ambyra after she realized the young bird had not moved. "What? We talked about this... no loose-"

"Threads. I know. I just thought... well, they look like their not from here, and I doubt they've done anything we'd need to hurt them for... maybe we could practise the other thing instead?" Ambyra asked with hopeful eyes as the band continued playing.

Syrune took a deep breath, eyeing the band members carefully. After a moment she nodded with a small smile, "Alright, give it a go. But if it doesn't work..."

"Yes! Great! Okay, yeah, I know what to do if it doesn't work right. I call the flute-player! Nyko, you're better at this, you take the other two." Ambyra chirped, starting towards the band, who had begun to slow down in their song, staring back at the approaching birds. Even as the white falhawk approached, her eyes began to shimmer orange in eager excitement. The Glare of a Phoenix was one of her favorite things to practise.

(Oh that reminds me, does Rinka still struggle with Glaring without having Tyrin to practise with, or has she gotten the hang of it on her own?)

Nykoru had moved to carry out Syrune's order, but upon hearing her talk to Ambyra, he paused and turned back towards them to listen, looking at his sister in confusion.

"-I doubt they've done anything we'd need to hurt them for," Ambyra had said. Immediately a dark look appeared on his face, one he should have been able to prevent.

The same could have been said for that white she-hawk upstairs, he thought, his eyes glittering vehemently, But I did what I was told. Leave no witnesses.

The moment Ambyra said his name, he immediately brightened and grinned cheerfully, erasing all signs of the darkness from his face. "Sure thing, sis!" he chirped, letting her pass him before following after. Still grinning, he focused on the other two band members, brainstorming what to have them do as he walked. When he was a short distance from them, he stopped, letting his sister continue her approach to the flute-player. He looked from the string-player to the drummer, looking them both in their terrified eyes. He tilted his head slightly to the side right as his eyes flashed a bright golden color. It took a heartbeat longer than it had taken Syrune to Glare the Black-Shouldered Kite, but finally the eyes of the two changed to a color identical to his. "Come to me," Nykoru ordered. Without hesitation, the string-player and the drummer dropped their instrument and leapt to the ground, walking forward swiftly before coming to a stop in front of him. The young falhawk then waited for Ambyra to Glare the flute-player while maintaining eye contact with his two captives.

Rinka still does struggle with it. Tyrin would have been the only motivation she had to work on it. It's a useful ability, but even so she's not so keen on controlling others that way to get what she wants. She feels like she's cheating in some way by using Glare, but would much rather use other means to get things done, like good old fashioned negotiation. But she has realized that negotiating wouldn't work in certain situations, so she does try to practice every once in a while, with someone else's permission. The chances she can successfully Glare another creature is roughly about 30-40%. The chances are higher when that creature has a "weaker-mind", you can say, and the chances are lower when that creature has a "stronger-mind".

---

Wildwing wrote:Rinka still does struggle with it. Tyrin would have been the only motivation she had to work on it. It's a useful ability, but even so she's not so keen on controlling others that way to get what she wants. She feels like she's cheating in some way by using Glare, but would much rather use other means to get things done, like good old fashioned negotiation. But she has realized that negotiating wouldn't work in certain situations, so she does try to practice every once in a while, with someone else's permission. The chances she can successfully Glare another creature is roughly about 30-40%. The chances are higher when that creature has a "weaker-mind", you can say, and the chances are lower when that creature has a "stronger-mind".

---

Aaaahhhh, okay! Great to know!  I figured according to cannon it would be a little more difficult for her because she's not a natural-born Phoenix, therefore some aspects of her powers may be weaker --or stronger-- than the others.

Jaystep wrote:

Wildwing wrote:Rinka still does struggle with it. Tyrin would have been the only motivation she had to work on it. It's a useful ability, but even so she's not so keen on controlling others that way to get what she wants. She feels like she's cheating in some way by using Glare, but would much rather use other means to get things done, like good old fashioned negotiation. But she has realized that negotiating wouldn't work in certain situations, so she does try to practice every once in a while, with someone else's permission. The chances she can successfully Glare another creature is roughly about 30-40%. The chances are higher when that creature has a "weaker-mind", you can say, and the chances are lower when that creature has a "stronger-mind".

---

Aaaahhhh, okay! Great to know!  I figured according to cannon it would be a little more difficult for her because she's not a natural-born Phoenix, therefore some aspects of her powers may be weaker --or stronger-- than the others.

Ah! I see! I never thought of that! Thanks for saying so! )

Ambyra's eyes shimmered as she stepped close to the flute player, fluttering up the large tree stump he and the drummer stood upon while the third member passed her for Nykoru. Gently, she came up to the terrified flute player, and her eyes reached their full brightness. The flute player became quickly mesmerized, dropping his flute to the ground and observing Ambyra with a blank expression. 

The white bird smiled at her new subject's undivided attention, speaking softly. "What is your name?"

The flute bird stared blankly back, his beak curving in the beginnings of a relaxed smile. "Jarrin."

Ambyra smiled back, "Jarrin. You play the flute nicely. You played a nice song tonight, isn't that right?"

"....Yes."

Ambyra nodded, leaning even closer to her prey, "You played your song so well, the drinks were free. You drank too much, didn't you?"


"....Yes."

The white bird's intensity grew as she continued, "You drank so much, you remember nothing. You woke up here, not knowing what happened, because you never saw the fight. You drank until you slept, and nothing else occurred. You saw no birds. You have no idea what happened here, correct?"

"....Yes."