The Path of the Wolf (Jade Vaux)

[krael]

Even in the warm sunlight of an early spring midday, the Dark Forest was chilly. It was not a normal chill either; normal chills didn’t bother Drisan Darl Krine, especially in his altered form. But this chill seemed to sink through his shaggy white fur and settled as an ache deep within his very bone. Drisan snarled and increased his pace, now running all out. His four padded paws kicking up clumps of dead leaves and dirt as he barreled forward.

The trees around him seem move and sway even though there was no wind, Drisan curled his lips away from his teeth in anger. The place was cursed. It was no longer a part of nature. Thatulo’s blessing had long ago fallen away from the forest, as the shriveled brown undergrowth and brown canopy above could attest to.
But cursed forest or not, Drisan’s quarry was somewhere in here. He’d be damned before he allowed her to escape.

Drisan came to a stop at a crossroad in the game path he had been following; he raised his nose and sniffed for a moment. Her scent still lingered; she had been this way just minutes before! But wait, something wasn’t……….

The Wolf sniffed deeper, pulling the smells in the air into his very brain and sorting through them the way a money counter might go through his coins. A deer had ventured through the left path not a half hour before, a bear had followed it, something much less distinguishable had taken the right, and his quarry had taken neither. Snarling Drisan turned away and shot off the game path and into the undergrowth.

It had been a clever ruse, and had it been anyone else but him it would have done the trick. But no one escaped Drisan Krine.
Drisan cleared a fallen tree with one humongous leap, her scent was stronger now. She couldn’t be no more than a hundred yards ahead of him. Drisan slowed his all out run into a more cautious pace, this girl was a dangerous adversary. That was the reason he had sought her out. So far she hadn’t disappointed him. He had rarely had a more invigorating chase. Three days! Just the thought that she had escaped him for three full days was amazing.

But now her scent was so strong he could taste it, now the chase had come to an end. Just beyond that copse of trees……..
With a savage snarl Drisan burst through the ticket and ended up in a clearing. And there waiting for him was his quarry.

Words: 420
Outfit: click
Notes: Forgive me, not my best intro but I think it’ll serve our purpose. :-)
Muse: kicking in overdrive

[jade]

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[/font][/color] i used to know the name of every
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Jade was less than pleased, to say the least. She had managed to find her way, all the way to Odantton. Sure as hell, she managed to get herself a job within the first few days of being there. However, her target was also a traveler, and... Well, she was going to have to get right back on the road. There was no time to relax with a job such as the one that she had. Sometimes, it was a blessing and sometimes it was a curse. Of late, it had proven to be more of a blessing, giving her less time with her thoughts. The last thing that she needed was to dwell, and that seemed to be the only thing that she was good at.

On top of immediately being sent on the road, she started to feel as though someone was following her, partway through her journey. After a while it became incredibly clear that she was in fact, being followed. She knew that she had been careless on the way up to Odantton... Which caused her to be incredibly careful now that she knew that she was being tailed. The last thing that she wanted was to be caught. Especially if this person was another competitor. Perhaps, word of her antics had caught the ears of another assassin... Or someone of high political standing, and they just wanted her dealt with. ...It didn't matter. All that mattered at the moment was keeping herself safe.

She wasn't going to allow this pain in the ass to keep her from doing what she was supposed to do either. She had a target down in Feras that she was going to have to take care of, come hell or high water. And she was fairly certain, due to the fact that whoever was tailing her hadn't managed to find themselves in her wake just yet, that they weren't either of those two things. Therefore, she wasn't about to give up on her job. At this rate, however, she was going to find herself heading back to Odantton before this person finally caught up to her. It was pathetic to say the least. Did they send a beginner assassin after her? Oh, now, that was just insulting! They should know that they would have to do their best if they wanted to get rid of her.

But as she found herself in the Black Forest, she found that her movements were severely slowed down. Without sleeping, and without breaking to eat, she had spent at least a day and a half in the rather expansive, sinister forest. Creatures that she had never dreamed of jumped out at her, baring their teeth. Needless to say, Jade had been on a bit of a killing spree for the past day and a half. She was starting to get tired, and starting to make mistakes. However, she wasn't tired enough to give up right in the middle of the Black Forest. No, she'd make it out of there alive. But as soon as she got out of there, she was going to be stopping for a nap. It wasn't as though her follower would get through this place any faster than she. Unless... Of course, they were a manner of beast as well.

Jade pushed the paranoid thoughts aside as she sunk her three bladed katana through the heart of one of the aforementioned beasts. Just because she didn't get along with the Werewolves, and had been spotted in their village not too long ago didn't mean that they were going to send someone after her to 'keep tabs on her'. That would just be stupid on their part, considering she hadn't bother to hide her distaste for the rest of her kind while she was there.

Pulling her blade free of the beasts carcass, she began to clean it off on a spare cloth from her pack. If there was one thing that bothered her about her blades, it was that blood seemed to stick to them like no other. And she didn't like the idea of dried blood sticking to a fresh kill; no, they should all tarnish her clean blades. But, it seemed as though she had been taking her sweet time, because her pursuer finally decided to make themselves known. With the blood clouding her senses, she hadn't picked up on this beasts scent; she didn't know where he was or what he was...

But now that he was gazing upon him... Perhaps there was something to her paranoia. Immediately taking a defensive stance, she pulled her other katana into her other hand. She growled lowly at him, crouching, preparing herself for his attack. There was something... animalistic in her eye as she gazed upon the white werewolf. "Who are you? What do you want?" she growled, digging her foot into the earth, giving herself a better foothold.

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[/font][/color] now i made this bed and i can't
f a l l a s l e e p i n i t
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WORD COUNT ❧ 817
INSPIRATION ❧ "Hungry Like the Wolf!"
TAGS ❧ Drisan, Alpha
NOTES ❧ Dammit! The thread title made me think of Duran Duran. And this beginning post is fine. Stop being so critical.

[krael]

Drisan sat back on his haunches as he observed the woman before him. As if cued the wind began to pick up, creating whisperings in the leaves of the trees surrounding the clearing and murmurs in the shrubs below them. The first thing he noticed was that the woman before him was gorgeous.

Sleek straight ebony hair flowed down to the small of her back, it seem to highlight her alabaster skin. Her hazel eyes were slanted like those people from the East. She wore a tight black leather pants and a black top that revealed most of her firmly muscled midriff, the clothes seem designed to highlight her petite body and it certainly did its job.

It only took a second glance to take in the situation, it seem that they had been a battle. Jade was surrounding by the bodies of animals so warped and twisted that they were no longer identifiable; the ground was soaked with blood. But from the way the woman stood at ready, her katana swords in hand, and a fierce fire in his eyes Drisan knew that even if she had been injured she was far from defeated.

Drisan threw his head up and howled. It was an impressive howl, bearing layers upon layers of pride and contempt for enemies that could not come close to meeting him in honest battle. As Drisan howled, he regressed back into normal form.

Fur retreated back into skin, eyes changed from amber to dark brown, joins quivered and shifted back into position, and nails and fangs receded. It all took exactly five seconds, and at the end of it was a human shaped Drisan crouching on the ground.

Drisan Krine slowly rose, at six foot three he towered almost head and shoulders over the woman. His dark skin gleamed as if with an inner light, and his white teeth flashed as he gave her a predatory smile. He stood naked as a newborn but it didn’t bother him in the slightest, he spent as much time naked as in clothes and he had nothing to be ashamed of as his body was as perfect as a mortal’s could be. At four hundred and thirty two years he was in peak physical condition and it showed in his perfectly chiseled granite hard muscles.

“Lady Vaux,” Drisan said mockingly with a sweeping bow. He ignored her questions and merely said. “What a pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”

World: 409

[jade]

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[/font][/color] i used to know the name of every
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Her long slender fingers tightened around her Katana as she watched the man transform. Jade eyes glittered dangerously as fur gave way to flesh. How she hated these creatures; how she hated where she came from; her heritage, her life... Her abilities... All courtesy of her parents, all courtesy of their mistakes. She licked her lips and clenched her jaw, preparing for whatever was about to ensue. This animal that stood before her was probably looking for a fight. And in all honesty, she was willing to provide it. It had been such a long time since her blade had tasted the blood of someone of claw and fur. For the most part, she was hired to take out leeches. To kill one of her own... It was a rare treat, to say the least. She had no idea where her hatred for her own kind stemmed from, but it was there... And this man was serving as a reminder for why she hated them.

"How do you know my name?" she growled, her foot sinking further into the ground. Jade was very good at keeping herself hidden. No one knew her name unless she chose to give it. And of course, she refused to do that very often. There was a handful of people that knew her for who she was. The fact that this man knew her full name... That was cause for concern. If she would have spent more time amongst the werewolves, she would have known that she was standing before the Alpha of all of her kind. But her parents had been... Well, she had to get her roguish tendencies from someone. Her parents seemed keen on distancing themselves from the pack as well. Why they chose to live their life of solitude, she never would know. Solely for the fact that she never wanted to see them again to even get the faintest inkling of why. Swallowing, she let her eyes drink in the man's frame.

He was tall; solid. He would prove to be an interesting fight, if nothing else. Her eyebrow arched as she moved her hips. It was not a seductive movement, although, some on the battlefield might see such movements as a distraction. Normally, she would have no qualms with using her body as a way to distract her opponent, but the man that stood before her was clearly here for a reason. The game of seduction wasn't one that she wished to play. Grinding her teeth, she let her eyes move over him, attempting to figure out any physical weaknesses. His body was perfection, however. There wasn't even the smallest physical indicator of what might take him down quickly. That did nothing more than anger her. She didn't like heading into fights blindly. Normally, there was at least some sign of a prior wound that she could exploit.

"Speak quickly. Tell me what you want of me. I do not have time for formalities, and clearly you don't either. After all, you've been hunting me... have you not?" she said, her eyes narrowing as she inspected him. "And it seems that you've done your research. So, let's not dawdle." She said, rolling her neck from side to side. "If it's a fight you want... Then, well, I suppose we have no reason to talk, now do we?" she grinned, a sardonic tone coming to her voice. Jade was itching to destroy this man. He had proved to be a frustration throughout her travels... It would be easier to kill him and continue along her way than it would be to 'hear him out'. But, she was curious... Very, very curious as to why he had taken to tracking her.

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[/font][/color] now i made this bed and i can't
f a l l a s l e e p i n i t
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WORD COUNT ❧ 618
INSPIRATION ❧ "Hungry Like the Wolf!"
TAGS ❧ Drisan, Alpha
NOTES ❧ Duran Duran suddenly isn't serving as well as an inspiration as I would have hoped. D8

[krael]

Drisan watched Jade with a keen eye, dissecting her with a glance, and was amused to see that the woman was doing the exact same thing. They were two wild animals sizing each other up, sniffing out weakness, smelling out flaws, just looking for the slightest chink in the armor before pouncing. Drisan allowed a feral smile to run the length of his face. Nothing, NOTHING was as euphoric as straightforward battle with a worthy opponent.

He stepped to the side, fighting the almost overwhelming urge to attack her now. Drisan listened detachedly as the woman addressed him once more. He vaguely considered answering her question about how he knew of her identify then decided against it. Explaining to her that two of the vampires that she slew were actually on his payrole, he would never actually admit that he freely consorted with the corpses but sometimes it was necessary, and it was their deaths that had gotten him interested was way too much hassle. Drisan still remembered how it had only taken a little digging and a few cracked skulls to uncover a name, no one in their right minds denied Drisan Krine anything but of for some reason they always had a couple of people who forgot that, then with a couple of coins and of course the odd broken limb now and again he had managed to compile quite a fascinating biography.

What he had learned was definitely enough to warrant his personal attention. If half of what he had been told was true then Jade Vaux was not a loner he could leave straying. A Werewolf sellsword of her caliber could really do damage. He was here to offer her the age old choice: join the pack or die. Oh, he really did hope that she would refuse. He hadn’t fought another Wolf in nigh over a season since all the young whelps now knew better than to challenge his leadership.

“You are right,” Drisan Krine said slowly as he glanced leisurely at the gleaming blade in the shewolf’s tight grip. He doubted that she would be fast enough to actually get him with it, they were few creatures fast enough to hit Drisan when he didn’t want to be hit.
“Mincing words is for the leeches. Lets stay true to our Wolf heritage and be as brief as possible.” Drisan ran a hand over his shaved head before continuing.

“My name is Drisan Krine, alpha male of Pack Krine, it has been a pleasure tracking you these few days but now the fun is at an end.” Drisan took a few steps forward, breaching the distance between them but still keeping well out of range of her sword. “You are a loner,” he spat out the word with contempt. “And you have been in Krine territory without seeking my permission or permission of my mate. That is a grievous offense, I’m here to take you back to the village to be judged.” Drisan cocked his head to the left before continuing. “Or of course you could refuse.” He said softly, his eyes glinted eagerly leaving little doubt which choice he would prefer.
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Words: 560

Tag: Jade Vaux

Notes: Sorry for the long wait, damn hurricane. *grumble, grumble*

[jade]

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[/font][/color] i used to know the name of every
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Oh, well, now she was just pissed. What was it about people that they all wanted to get into her face for her being a 'longer'. Who cares? Well, other than them of course. Apparently, it was such a heart breaking thing to see a woman all alone in the world, with no one to protect her, no one to hold her. The sardonic tone all but spewed forth from her thoughts as she attempted to gather her wits about her. At least, enough to tell this man kindly where he could stick it. She wasn't interested in anything that he had to say, and she certainly wasn't interested in joining his little pack, or gang. Whichever word they had decided that they wanted to use. Her fingers tightened around the Katana, her palm pressing roughly into the finely manicured metal, leaving a small dent in her flesh. She wanted to just walk away. As much as she hated other werewolves, and hated the lives that they lived, she would never take out a leader of a small culture. She knew what chaos would ensue... And with Panthea on the rise... No, she wouldn't, despite the fact that her blood called out for it.

Lifting her chin, and clenching her jaw, she gave him the look of a proud warrior. She was who she was, and she was never going to apologize for that. Especially not to someone like this man. "Since when was being a loner seen as a crime?" she asked, her teeth bared, as she slowly placed her Katana on her hip. Jade was still prepared to fight; she was very quick, as was true of most rogues. But with her size and... Well, the only blasted thing that she was thankful of from her blood line, it was incredibly easy for her to grab whatever was necessary during any point of a battle, and do it with such speed that most wouldn't even realize what was happening. She swayed her hips as she pulled her feet together, taking a far less threatening pose. Instead, the Alpha of the Krine Clan was greeted to the cold aloof air that everyone saw in her. Her green eyes moved up to his. "This is the second time I've been accosted and interrogated about my status in this world. No offense to yourself, Alpha, but I don't feel the dire inclination to go back to your homestead. I passed through there once with no questions, and I never intend to return. I started no fights whilst I was there, nor did I have any intention of doing so. I'm a simple business woman attempting to find the easiest path to my next appointment." She arched her eyebrows like a mother would at a scolded babe. It was clear on her face that Jade thought this argument was ridiculous. God damn pups getting pissed whenever someone goes around their fence, and even more pissed when they had the opportunity to nip the offender on the ass, but chose not to out of their own cowardice.

"While I would delight in having a tea party with yourself, and your undoubtedly, lovely mate, I'm afraid that I have matters to attend to elsewhere. But, we can sit here and discuss this like adults, instead of dogs if you please." Once more, her jaw set in annoyance as she stared upon the man. It was a rather strange sight, to say the least. She was but a third of size, yet was standing up to him like he was an inch shorter than her. Jade, throughout her years of travel had mastered the art of remaining cold; of remaining unreadable. Just because she was standing before an Alpha didn't mean that she had to cower away like she, herself, was nothing. The way this man carried himself made her want to stand and fight even more.

"I didn't start trouble whilst I was in your home, and your Guards let me past. Perhaps, the issue should be taken up with them." she said, flippantly, pulling her cloak back to reveal a bored hand on her hip. "So, if you'll excuse me, I believe that the reason that you tracked me down is horse shit. I am not going to go with you, and you won't find me this time." she said, a dangerous tone to her voice. "Your status amongst your people is the only thing that has prevented a blade from sinking into your gut." she growled. "But don't think I'll hesitate if there is to be an altercation between us."

First it was Doben, then Oran now Drisan. Why, the, hell could she not be left alone? Isn't that, after all, the reason that she decided to be a loner? ...That she wanted to be alone. Funny how she had been feeling the exact opposite for quite some time now.

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[/font][/color] now i made this bed and i can't
f a l l a s l e e p i n i t
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WORD COUNT ❧ 816
INSPIRATION ❧ "Hungry Like the Wolf!"
TAGS ❧ Drisan, Alpha
NOTES ❧ Oh, don't worry about the wait! I had you waiting for a great deal longer! Haha.

[krael]

Drisan listened to the first few words that Jade spoke than blocked out everything else. It was a strategy he had developed, he only listened long enough to garner the information he required then refused everything else. Words do funny things to a man, they could threaten mindsets, displace believes, shake resolve. Warriors had died in battle because the words of an enemy had struck doubt into their heart. So the Alpha Were just listened long enough to garner that Jade refused to come along quietly, well that had been expected.

After all, to be honest he would have been sorely pissed off if he had come all that way and she had decided to give in without a fight, it would have been a real anticlimax to such a thrilling chase. Now it was time for the highlight of the day, now it was time to fight. Drisan could have given a shout of elation.

He withdrew within himself and began counting his heartbeats as Jade continued speaking. Calming himself and finding his inner peace. It was another of the secrets to success he had picked up over the years; many a Werewolf had lost control of themselves in battle because they rushed in without calming themselves first. Lost of control led to berserker like frenzies, those led to death. In a desperate pitch it was the smarter opponent that won, not the mindless berserk. When Drisan reached one hundred he released a sigh then locked eyes with Jade.

“You’ve made your choice. So now that you’ve quit chattering get your sword up.” He stated matter-of-factly. “Or claws out. Whatever. Only way you’re leaving this clearing is if I lay lifeless on the ground.” With that Drisan reverted back to Wolf form. He had said all that need be say, everything else would be meaningless chatter.

He swished his tail as he paced from side to side, a soft menacing growl issuing from his throat. Of course he didn’t actually mean for the fight to go on to the death, no. But there was no better way than to gain an in depth look at her renown skills than a first hand experience. Drisan threw his head back and howled to the sky once more, tribute to Thatulo for the dance that was about to be perform by his subjects in his honor.

Words:372

Tags: Jade Vaux

Notes: Loosing the muse. I’m loosing the muse! Going have to step out for some brainfood. :-p

[jade]

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[/font][/color] i used to know the name of every
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It was becoming more and more apparent that the man didn't care about anything that she had to say. That was bound to drive her up a wall. With a slight hiss, her fingers tightened around Othello. "You've already made up your mind, so I shan't bore you any longer with my 'dribble'." Her eyes flashed dangerously as she watched the man transform. Whenever she was faced with a Werewolf, she hated moments like this. She would watch them change shapes... and it was a constant, agonizing reminder that she wasn't... Normal. That she wasn't right. Whenever someone transformed, however, she often made it a point to say that they weren't 'man' or 'woman' enough to actually fight her as they were supposed to. But that was her anger; anger at her own kind, anger at herself, shining through in the most agonizing way. Jade felt the bile rise in her throat, which she quickly swallowed down, her full lips forming into a thin line. What was it that this man wanted with her? She suspected that there was more to this than him just wanting to tear her apart because she walked through his lands, when his Guards let her pass. Clenching her teeth, she found that her knuckles were turning white with the effort of keeping herself from lashing out at the man. She had to remind herself that she never went after someone of power unless she was getting paid a great deal. Besides, the last thing that she wanted was for the Werewolves to be out and about running like chickens with their heads cut off. She wanted them to stay stationary; the way they should be.

Digging her foot into the ground, she gave him a bit of a growl. Despite the fact that she disowned most things about being a Werewolf, some of her base instincts were never going to go away. She was an animal in some regards; when she was fighting... Well, that was when the marriage of humanity and her carnal instincts shown through the most. Especially in times like this. Jade was praying that she wouldn't lose control of herself. While she wasn't the most powerful werewolf, when she was in her Warform she had virtually no control. For all she knew if her Warform was to peak through, she might just walk up to Drisan and curl up beside him like a good little lapdog. That was highly doubtful, but sometimes she never knew. And her beast was already clawing at the surface, begging to be let out. With a simple flick of her wrist, Rasha, her three bladed Katar fell into place, her fingers curling around the all too familiar handle. Rasha, the bringer of death to those that she hated, to those that she despised. "I do not wish to fight you, but if that is what you crave..." she said, a sick smile coming to her lips. "Then have at it, Mutt. I have no doubts in my mind that your ability to fight is just as impaired as your ability to listen."

She would bring him down, and she would destroy him. But Jade never struck first. To do so was a sign of weakness in her eyes; a sign of impatience. If this man truly wanted to battle, than they would, but she would never be the one to flinch or strike at him first. To her, he wasn't deserving of her falling that far from her former glory.

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[/font][/color] now i made this bed and i can't
f a l l a s l e e p i n i t
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WORD COUNT ❧ 583
INSPIRATION ❧ "Hungry Like the Wolf!"
TAGS ❧ Drisan, Alpha
NOTES ❧ She's really not digging on the idea of fighting him for some reason. That is... Different.

[krael]

God this is a wordy bitch Drisan thought irritably as he listened to Jade speaking once more. Like she is in love with the sound of her voice or something. Bad form, very bad form.

One thing Drisan hated was people who talk too much, he simply couldn’t stomach them. They were only second to people who tried to weasel out of action. This woman appeared to be both. Drisan almost moaned in disappointment. Maybe he had the wrong Jade. He hoped desperately. There was no way the Jade Adaia Vaux he had heard about could be this sniveling coward in front of him who had twice tried to turn down an honorable battle by a honest opponent.

But no, she had confirmed her identity. Drisan contemplated just leaving her alone, it was obvious she carried the sword for style. Why else would she be so hesitant? He toyed with the possibility then cast it aside, no way. He had not come all this way, and tracked her for three days, to send her off without battle. The Were berated himself for even contemplating the possibility. If she wouldn’t fight the she would die, it was that simple. The Lay of Land, those too weak to defend themselves deserved death.

Good the woman had finally closed her blasted mouth. Drisan decided that it was time to get the ball rolling. Drisan sucked a deep breath into his lungs. He was in super awareness mood now. He could almost count the individual pores on Jade’s face, he could here her steady breathing, and he could smell the tang of blood and sweat and death that was still in the air.

Everything had slowed down. Everything had blurred into insignificance except his opponent. Drisan released the breath and then as fast and irresistible as a bolt of lighting, Drisan shot forward. Barreling towards Jade with no other intention but to maim, kill, and destroy.

Words: 319

Tag: Jade Vaux

Notes: Okay, lets do this!