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 Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 7:35 pm
 
With tense muscles ready to spring, Niko’s silver eyes followed the jackalope as it sniffed the ground for a snack of grass or mushrooms. His ears twitched in response to the slightest noise, listening for anything that might scare away the jackalope.. Relatively assured that the jackalope was at ease, unknowing of its potential prey, Niko’s claws pressed into the muddy earth and just as he sprung, a white blur jumped from a nearby cliff sending the jackalope sprinting into a hollowed tunnel in the earth. Niko growled and transformed from his wolf form. His brows came together in a fit of anger at the white wolf that was staring at him, amused. “Dammit, Angel,” he snarled.
Angel also transformed from her wolf form with a smirk present on her pale pink lips, the amused look in her deep blue eyes never ceasing. Despite a storm that recently passed leaving the woods dampened and muddy, the female demon looked pristine with her pure white hair and milk skin. “What? You don’t have any human meat to eat?” she asked, smugly.
“Where’s the rest of the pack?” Niko asked, his ears turning this way and that listening for any others. His pack continued to raise him after his parents were killed but, since then he preferred to keep to himself traveling and exploring; especially places in the mortal realm. They didn’t understand his desire to know about the human world and its workings and often publicly expressed their views. Especially Angel and her group; she never passed up an opportunity to mock him. Although they were the same age, Angel felt herself superior to near everything except maybe the Alpha.
Angel shrugged, her tail swaying from side to side as it always did when she made a point to look innocent. “They’re out hunting real meat,” she replied. “I wonder if one day they’ll bring back a human. It might be a tasty treat.”
More interested in finding a meal than fueling another argument, Niko turned on his heels and walked in the opposite direction he saw Angel come. Her friends were never too far and often their disagreements became physical much to the displeasure of the Alpha. He was never too harsh though, figuring they were simply going through a rebellious stage. And as loathe as Niko was to admit it at times, he was still part of the pack. It didn’t matter if he lived in his own den, as far from them as he could get and still live in a suitable area. The Alpha still held him accountable for his actions; Niko often felt he was more lenient when it came to Angel and he didn’t need to be summoned for another conflict.
By the time another dinner option became available, the suns had passed below the mountains and the moons were only an hour or two from hanging directly above the lands. A creature with bluish purple skin that shimmered in the moonlight, called a layra, took a brief glance around with its large black eyes before plopping itself on a fallen tree. They relied mostly on sight having ears that looked more like tiny buds atop their heads. More than likely it would bury itself in the leaves that were still attached to branches creating a makeshift shelter for the night. The larya would know something was approaching when the leaves rattled against their skin, putting them into a defensive mode. Standing about two feet high from head to toe, layras had a long and lanky tail that served as a whip to stunt their prey before the layra quickly killed it with lengthy teeth that protruded from their lips. Their scrawny arms and legs also had sharp talon like nails that were used for climbing and digging.
The layra jumped into a cluster of leaves and settled into a niche. Stilling the air, Niko jumped above the creature and reached through the leaves yanking the screeching layra out by its neck. Blood dripped from the cut on his arm where the layra whipped at him twice. Still holding the layra, Niko used his other hand to twist its head until the creature’s neck snapped making three distinct cracks. The layra stopped twitching and hung limp in his hand with its mouth hanging open revealing a second set of small teeth; it almost made being whipped by its tail look preferable to being bit.
Once Niko was back at his den with a fire blazing in a small stone pit, he began to skin his dinner with his sharp claws. Some demons preferred their meat raw. Niko only liked raw meat when he was in his wolf form. Not that it tasted any different whether he was in his wolf form or not, it was just one of his quirks. He could hear the other members of his pack howling and laughing in the distance probably enjoying a feast. A few Elders had tried to convince Niko to join on more than one occasion but he always found a way to decline their offer without insulting them. He glanced up at the starless sky, a rich velvety blue adorned only by the two silvery white moons. In the human world, he always enjoyed watching the stars twinkle in the night sky all the way until dawn.
Juice from the layra meat was dripping down into the flame making sizzling and popping noises indicating the meat was cooked. Over a flame, the meat turned a few shades darker and could be cooked until it was black. A deep purple gave the juiciest bite Niko had found out. It wasn’t his favorite type of meat but it was a meal and he was alone. His mind drifted back to Angel’s words about humans being tasty meat. His nose scrunched at the thought. Sure he had tasted meats humans eat but, eating a human just did not sound appetizing. They would be easy prey though. He snorted at the thought. Humans were certainly interesting and created intriguing things they called cars and buildings but, they were sometimes oblivious.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2012 9:07 pm
  The young red head and her mom and lived peacefully for nearly 17 years. Everything was perfect, they had plenty of money from her mom’s side of the family and child support from Serena’s father. She had wondered before about him but her mom would never talk to her much about him. Just that they had met while she was in college and she had gotten pregnant and he wasn’t ready for a child but agreed to pay and give her what she needed to raise the baby. At least he was nice to do that for her mom. Serena still wondered who he was but her mom needed her more than she needed a father. She had gone 17 years without one so another 17 shouldn’t be too hard. They had just moved to a new town for her mom’s job when things started to get weird. The red head started to notice these strange people following her and her mother around. Some had horns and other had claws and slit eyes. It frightened her to so bad that she called the cops on day but when they came to the house they did find or see anything. Even worse was that her mom didn’t see these things either.
This had started when she turned 18 and she could see her mom was wrestling with something. One day finally she told Serena what was going on and why she was seeing these things. It made no sense to her, how could this be possible? Okay sure it kind of explained why she always had the cravings for the oddest food and why her father wasn’t around but seeing those things….knowing that she was one of them! It wasn’t right. After her mom told her this news Serena fell silent and a bit angry. She wasn’t talking to her mom and did whatever she could to ignore her. They had always been so close to each other and now….they were just drifting. This went on for about a month. The day things change was when she came home and noticed those creatures again leaving her and her mom’s apartment. They had her mom and she was struggling and screaming but no one was helping her! No one even noticed! Serena ran for them as they went around a corner and this dark bit shimmering almost door like…thing opened up and then they disappeared.
Without thinking she drove through it just as it was closing. When she came to the other side of whatever she had gone through the red head found herself on the edge of a dark forest. She couldn’t see very well but enough to see the monster running off, still with her mom. Serena ran, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Unlike them though they knew this place and got out of her sight and hearing rang within seconds. Tears where already running down her face as she slowed to a stop collapsing on her knees in the mud as she continued to cry.
She wasn’t paying attention but when something jumped out at her tackling her fully to the ground Serena scream kicking it off of her and getting to her feet. She fell again when something else tackled her and dug its claws into her shoulder. Serena screamed again as she pushed it away and started to run. Whatever was after her was right on her heels. After a moment she realized it was wolves. Where the hell was she!? Serena couldn’t think straight, so many things where colliding in her brain. Why her, w here she was, what happened to her mom, why where these wolves chasing her, did this have something to do with what she was and who her father was, could he help, where was he, how did she find him, and again why the ******** did this have to happen to her!? She life had been completely normal until she turned 18. “Help! Someone! Please! Help me!” She screamed, she was starting to get tired and these demented wolves where gaining on her. Serena tried to turn and run a different way to throw them off but one must have been hiding this whole time as a third on tackled her to the ground pinning her there. Serena wanted to scream but as the wolf growled at her she was frozen silent.
((Sorry if this is kind of crappy))
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 7:11 pm
Niko held the last piece of meat to his lips, juice dripping down his hand, when he heard the snarls and sounds of paws rushing through the forest cracking sticks and crunching leaves. He could hear four distinct running patterns as he dropped the last morsel of meat into his mouth. /Angel and her three lapdogs, as Niko called them, must have found an interesting prey to be pursuing it together he thought. When an interesting prey came along, they had a habit of playing with it before they truly went on the offensive. A game wolf pups played amongst each other to practice their hunting skills. Often times, parents would play to give their pups a harder target to catch. Niko’s father would often play, leading Niko to new exotic places before letting Niko catch him. Afterwards, they would explore the new place, sometimes for days at a time. Those times were few but Niko remembered like it had just happened the day before. His mother always told him he got his sense of adventure and wanting to explore from his father.
A loud growl brought his attention back to the present moment and he used his foot to smother the fire. Angel’s prey must have escaped them for the moment. That or they were trying to intimidate it into making a foolish move and thus giving Angel and her lapdogs a laugh. After stretching, Niko walked into his den intending on burrowing his head enough to block out the noise of their hunt. A louder growl echoed through the trees followed by something, or someone yelling, “help! Someone! Please! Help me!” That was strange. Angel normally hunted animal type creatures, not ones that could talk. If something was a threat to the pack, Niko would have heard the Alpha or the Beta signaling for the entire pack to be prepared to take action.
Niko transformed into his wolf form while he spun on his heels and darted towards Angel and the other wolves. He stopped a short distance away from where Jex had the apparent source of their amusement pinned to the ground. What is a human girl doing in the Underworld? The scent of human blood stained the air; one of the other wolves must have gotten a swipe at her. And how did she get here? Angel and the other two were circling her, licking their lips with an impish gleam in their eyes.
There was no denying Jex was by far the largest; Jex’s bulk did little to help him as Niko rammed into him, digging his teeth into Jex’s thick neck. Like always, the big brute was busy trying to impress Angel and paid no mind to anything other than her. Angel would indicate that she had an interest, a smile here, a wink there, but never anything more; just enough to keep Jex doing exactly as she wanted. As they tumbled, Niko could taste droplets of blood seeping through Jex’s fur. The air was pushed out of Niko’s lungs in one short breath as Jex kicked under his ribs sending him skidding towards the girl. Niko jumped up and growled, his silver eyes glowing in warning.
Jex bent low ready to pounce. He’s not worth our time,Angel said in the form of a short snappy bark and Jex glanced at her. She trotted to standing between Jex and Niko, raising one brow at him, silently saying, Is she your little pet? When you grew up with a pack, you learned to read expressions.
Niko ceased barring his teeth, remaining silent.
Angel stuck her nose towards the moons. Well?
Niko raised a brow. What’s it to you?
I’m sure the Alpha would love to hear about this human pet of yours.
He shrugged a shoulder. So tell him.
Angel growled. Always the same response when he didn’t give her the reaction she desired. You’re pathetic. We should tear her apart and taste her meat and blood.
Niko sat on his hind legs and looked towards the main den. I’m sure the Alpha will be interested to hear about how there’s fighting between the pack. Four against one…not very good odds in your favor.
She growled showing teeth as white as her fur. She knew he was right.
Niko remained silent, watching her.
Angel continued to growl as she stuck her nose high into the air slowly taking steps backwards. When she turned around, she pointed her nose towards the moons indicating for the others to follow. Begrudgingly they left, sending glares over their shoulders. Jex would not forgive the blood on his fur until he drew blood as well. Niko wasn’t concerned with him, or any of them for that matter.
What Angel would have done with the human, he wasn’t sure. Probably back the girl into a cave and taunt her for amusement until she got bored. It was unlikely they would actually attempt to eat her…if her blood smelled awful to him, he was sure it smelled awful to the others too. That didn’t mean that there weren’t other demons out there who felt the same though. After tonight, Niko was sure that Angel would be more interested in taunting him about how he “saved” the human girl as opposed to the human girl herself. The Alpha would interrogate him too soon, as soon as word spread. That was all fine and well to him. Niko was used to the questioning stares and insults thrown his way for his interest in things other than Underworldly matters.
The girl was still laying on the ground when he padded over to her. Her shoulder was bleeding though it looked to be stopping on its own. She was lucky, Rylin, the one who Niko figured nearly pinned her the first time, could have torn off her entire arm if he’d wanted to. That was just a play wound. Unluckily, humans healed incredibly slowly and she would probably be sore for quite a while. After he transformed into his demon form, he scooped her off the ground and bounded towards his den, picking leaves and other assorted items from the forest floor as he ran. Niko placed her gently within his den and ripped her shirt exposing the wound.
“This will probably sting but it will help,” he said, crushing a handful of leaves in his palms and letting the juice drip onto her wound. He used a bluish gray type of damp moss as a rag and cleaned the blood. The moisture it contained was also good for healing. Lastly, he took a handful of a sweet smelling salve that he kept in a clay jar and applied it liberally over her shoulder and covered it with a cloth. “That should dull the pain. But, if you don’t mind me asking, what in the name of the suns and moons are you doing in the Underworld?”
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 5:29 pm
When she had been pinned down she tried pushing the wolves off but they were really strong. Her arm though was killing her. One of the damn creatures had bitten her and she was starting to have a hard time moving it. Every time she did it felt like someone was stabbing her over and over. It didn’t help that dirt was getting rubbed in it. “Help!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. She had started crying a while ago and she wasn’t going to stop any time soon. This was a hellish nightmare and she wished it would end but it wasn’t a dream. Before the one on her could do anything else though a silver blur went across her knocking the larger wolf off. She was in a bit of shock as she scooted back to a tree. Making herself into a small ball whenever one of the wolves looked at her or would growl. Serena knew that nothing she did would really protect her from what they could do with their sharp teeth and claws. When the silver wolf was pushed back in front of her and got back up on to his feet.
She couldn’t help but watch in aw as the wolves looked to each other. Obviously talking with each other in a way that she couldn’t understand. Cringing every once in a while when the wolves would growl. Even though the wolves that had attacked her where backing off Serena sank back into the tree when the other silver wolf turned and looked at her. Her green eyes widened a little, when he transformed into what looked like a human but with wolf ears, silver hair and eyes. As he picked her up she didn’t struggled she was too in shock. Everything was happening so fast she didn’t know what to do. Hell even if she did those other wolves where strong and there was no doubting that he was just as strong. Serena just curled into him and kept her head down. She so wished even more now that this was just a bad nightmare and she could wake up and curl into her bed…hell she kind of wanted her mom right now. . . But she couldn’t her mom was gone…God damn stupid creates for taking her. When the silver haired wolf human…demon? She didn’t know what to call him. She knew what her mom told her about where her father came from but she didn’t know what to call these creates…or herself for that matter.
When she was set down Serena flinched a little when he ripped the shoulder of her shirt but she sat still letting him work. It did sting a couple times as he was working on her shoulder. She was just now realizing that he was one of the good ones…maybe. You never knew when someone could come along pretending to be good but then turn on you. When he finished she looked to her shoulder pushing herself up with her good arm into a sitting position. When he spoke to her the red head couldn’t hold it back any longer and started talking. “When I came home these…these thing had my mom but no one could see them or would help her and I started to run after them to help her but they disappeared into this…I don’t know they went through something and I just followed them. Before I knew it I was running through the woods trying to chase them but they got away then tho—those wolves started chasing me and I..I don’t know what the hell is going on I just want to find my mom and get the hell out of here.” Serena tended to have word vomit when she was scared and nervous.
Something happened then that she defiantly wasn’t expecting. She shrank in size quickly and with a couple of seconds she was a small but also decent sized red fox. She wasn't in this form but for about five minutes before she changed back into her human form. Serena was only shocked silent for a second before she started to freak. "What the hell was that!? I that...oh god I'm going to kill him for leaving us and me with ugh! This can not be possiable I'm not a freaking animal!"
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 5:58 pm
A Halfling, Niko thought flatly, this girl is a Halfling. There were few other things that most demons hated more than they hated a Halfling. Even humans had more worth than a Halfling in their minds. No one was really sure how many existed; once one was found they were usually killed along with the demon who had mated with a human- and sometimes the human too- so they were very few in numbers. And one just happened to show up at Niko's den. Great. This human girl was lucky that Angel hadn't known what she was or else the girl would have been left to rot under a pile of leaves wherever they decided to leave her body and there would have been nothing he could have done to protect her. If another demon found out that there was a Halfling in Niko's presence, he would be rotting under a pile of leaves next to her.
He ran a hand through his hair and groaned. He liked humans, to an extent. They were interesting creatures and entertaining to watch. He had no reason to really mind or care about the existence of Halflings. He really did not want to be in the middle of a human, Halfling, and the demons that had her mother and would more than likely go after her next. Based on what the human girl said, she didn't know who or what her father was up until recently. Unfortunately, when she found out, Niko assumed, so did some other demons who had been in the mortal world. If Niko had to guess, her father was still alive, having hidden the fact that he mated with a human. Otherwise, the demons who took her mother would have simply killed her and her mother then and there. More than likely her mother was being used as bait.
Niko grabbed the human girl by the collar and led her to the deepest part of his den and created a sort of wind barrier outside to keep their voices from travelling to any lurking ears that might wander nearby. "Being in the Underworld probably triggered your transformation," he said to her. "No offence, either your powers aren't very strong or they're just deeply, well...hidden for lack of a better word." Niko could sense them in her now, faintly. By just being in the Underworld her powers would develop faster which wasn’t necessarily a good thing; the more powerful a demon was, the easier they were to track when they didn’t suppress their powers.
He could take her back to the mortal world with ease but either way the demons would come looking for her when they achieved their first goal despite which realm she was in. "You're just lucky that those wolves were a part of my pack and don't know what you are," he sighed. Hopefully the Alpha wouldn’t find out…while Niko was relatively certain he wouldn’t kill a human that Niko had been “amusing himself with”, he wasn’t so certain the Alpha wouldn’t kill a Halfling.
What a mess.
What would he do even if he knew exactly where the demons she saw and her mother where? It wasn’t his business what other demons did lest they were part of his pack. He had no attachment to this girl or her mother other than the fact that he occasionally enjoyed watching her race and saw no reason to kill her. In the Underworld, there was an unwritten rule that you minded your business and other demons minded theirs.
Niko wasn’t even sure what type of demons the girl had seen. She said they were invisible to other mortals but that meant little; it could have been any type of demon with a mage demon friend who cast a spell to hide them. They could even be led by a fox demon who was a part of her father’s family group and was angry and felt shame for the family.
One thing was certain, with her shoulder the way it was, the human girl wasn’t going to be able to do much any time soon. The wound would heal a little quicker now that her powers have emerged but it would still take time. “Alright, let’s lay a few ground rules: don’t leave this den, ever; don’t transform into a fox; and don’t talk to anyone. I don’t care what they say. Do. Not. Say. One. Word.” Hopefully word would stay within the pack and they would continue to think she was a human. Niko might even be able to play her off as a “pet” for a few days. “And act as if you were one hundred percent human. You don’t want to give anyone the idea of there even being a slim to nothing possibility it isn’t true. What is your name by the way? I'm Niko." He wasn’t going to continue referring to her as “the human girl”.
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Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 10:49 pm
After she had changed back she watched the wolf in front of her. He seemed a little surprised and a little upset when she had changed in front of him. Well s**t, if this was bad for him what the hell did that mean for her. She sat up and curled her legs into her chest after changing back into her human or rather to her, normal form. Serena was scared to death, those other wolves and been so mean and they just thought she was some human. What would they have done if they saw her change like this? They could obviously tell that she was human, being half human and half demon probably didn’t even matter to them. They probably just wanted to kill her for fun. Ugh! The red head shuddered curling in more on herself. Resting her head down on her knees, she tried to sing in her head. Something she always did when she was frightened. Her mother had done it for her when she was little and as she grew up she started doing it herself to get herself calm.
Suddenly the silver hair boy grabbed her collar pulling her up and deeper into the den. She had let out a light squeak and was shaking a she followed along behind him. Though it was more like she stumbled along behind him. She could barely get her footing she was so nervous and scared. When he let go she sank back down and again curled her legs into her. Though as he spoke she looked to him…he was still being somewhat nice to her and she was grateful for the somewhat explanation of what was going on. Hearing that she had powers and they could be either really weak or just hidden she wished it was neither but she could feel something different pulsing through her veins. Before the change she had felt something running through her veins but now she could defiantly tell something was different about her. As if seeing those creatures in the human world after her birthday wasn’t enough.
As he continued to speak she nodded, wrapping her arms around her legs holding them to her as she leaned against the stone wall. It was nice an cool against her flushed back. Her shoulder was still a little sore so she didn’t wrap it around herself too tight. Mostly she just let it rest in her lap while her other arm held her legs up. Though sitting like that wasn’t very comfy on the stone floor and she eventually let both her hand rest in her lap as she stretched her legs out in front of her. When the silver haired boy spoke again about some rules she quickly nodded. Though she wasn’t sure how well she could obey the whole turning into a fox thing. She didn’t even know how she did it the first time. Serena nodded, she had been human for her whole life till now and she was going to do her best to keep things that way. She just wanted her mom and then to go back home so she could forget this whole damn place. “Se-“ She coughed clearing her throat before looking back up to him. “Serena.” She said her voice a little sore from having screamed earlier. . . “I’m sorry if I’m cause you trouble…I just don’t know what’s going on. An why my father, who if he’s some big old demon around here couldn’t better hide my mother and I.” he obviously care for them somewhat if he hadn’t killed her mother and her himself.
((Sorry short..))
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 5:33 pm
"There's a pile of leaves back further if you prefer," Niko said to the girl, offering something other than the hard ground. Underneath he had shaped the earth to create a crude crater shape to keep the leaves from spilling all over the place. It wasn't feathers but it made do for his bed since he slept in his wolf form. There was various human paraphernalia placed along the walls of his den- pictures, pieces of jewelry, dolls, etc- but nothing that would be of use to Serena. Fortunately, the temperature in the Underworld remained relatively constant- and she didn't seem to be cold- unless something such as an ice or fire demon decided to temporarily change the conditions. Elemental demons could often be found fighting each other to prove which was stronger and often times it came down to a battle of wits as opposed to strength.
As if the Universe read his thoughts, Niko saw a flash of yellow not far off from his den. With a scowl he said to Serena, "don't move, don't make a sound," and walked out of his den, blocking the opening. There was another yellow flash only this one was darker. Soon, he could see two distinct yellow balls bouncing off each other as they neared his home. Aside from the fact that he normally did not welcome visitors, he really disliked when non members of his pack came near his pack’s territory. With a loud growl, he got the attention of the two young bouncing demons who were now about a hundred feet from his den. They stopped moving and looked at him with wide blue eyes, unsure of what to do. "You're crossing into my pack's territory," Niko warned, showing his fangs. The two demons couldn't have been more than fifteen or twenty years old. The distinctive features of lightning demons had yet to show on their features. "Go back to your moms," he said. "And be sure to watch where you step." The two swallowed and nodded, bounding back the way they came apparently grateful for not being attacked.
When he was sure nothing else was near, he returned to Serena and sat next to her intending on returning to their conversation, his tail settling to sway slightly behind him. Niko snorted remembering her words: ...why my father, who if he’s some big old demon around here couldn’t better hide my mother and I. "It wouldn't matter if your father was named a king or an Alpha, the only way he could have hid you better was to have killed you." Niko's turned so he was looking at her. "You're a Halfling. Half demon, half human,” he explained, “Halflings, and those who created, them are hated more than humans. I'm surprised you've lived this long...you're kind is usually killed rather quickly. You're also lucky that you stumbled into my pack's territory...they're not as inclined to kill off humans, quickly anyway. Had they known you were a Halfling, well..." he shrugged, "let's just keep it at you're a very lucky girl. I happen to find humans intriguing. Stupid. But intriguing."
Hopefully Serena's luck wouldn't run out anytime soon, Niko thought. "I'm not even sure what I should do with you. You won't be safe in the human world, and you won't be safe here; unless you were to live your life in your fox form but, I doubt that sounds appealing to you." That plan also had one fatal flaw. Demons were expected to transform in order to communicate with other types of demons; things often turned violent when a demon refused. The other demon would take it as a sign of disrespect and if Serena did transform, they would figure out she was a Halfling and kill her on the spot. "Even so, they know what you look like as a human, they probably have your scent, and they would probably find you." He sighed looking at the rising moons, deciding she didn't need to know anything more than that unless she asked. Then he would answer. Obviously it was her choice as to where she went from here but, no choice was a terribly good one. “Maybe you should try and sleep,” Niko said, glancing at her shoulder. “I can almost promise that nothing bad will happen tonight. Almost.”
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 10:16 pm
When he mentioned a pile of leaves farther back that she cloud sleep on she nodded and pushed herself back up. Moving to the back and sinking into the little piles she relaxed a little more. Just as she did she noticed the flashes as well and sunk back a little more. Nodding quickly when he told her to not move or make a sound. That was easy, you didn’t have to tell her twice. Serena watched as he went off back towards the mouth of cave. She had closed her eyes rested back against the wall and opened them again when she heard him coming back. Her senses she would already tell where slightly sharper then they had been. As he sat down she couldn’t help but glance at the silver tail that swayed behind him. When he spoke she could understand that she wouldn’t really be safe no matter who her dad was but what she didn’t get was why half breed where hated so much in this world. Was it just because they had human DNA in them? Hearing that he liked humans she agreed that she was really lucky. Though she didn’t like that he though they/she was stupid. Serena admitted that some where pretty stupid but not all of them where.
Hearing that she couldn’t live anywhere anymore because she was in danger of basically being slaughter was a frightening thought and she curled into herself again. She could feel herself shivering slightly again and she could feel the change coming again but she closed her eyes and focused on staying in this form. She didn’t change thankfully, but she could still feel it slightly, waiting for her to lose focus and take over again. She was not used to this, nor did she like it. Changing into a fox was cool but also really weird because her whole world changed. An even though he explained it to her she still didn’t understand who she was anymore. Staying she would be killed, going back to the human world she would be killed, her mom was probably already dead…she had no home, no safe place to go to. When he told her to sleep she nodded, though she wasn’t sure how well she could sleep with all of these things running through her mind. “Thank you, for helping me when you didn’t have to.” Eventually then she slipped over leaning on his shoulder. He could push her over and lay her down and she probably wouldn’t notice. Serena was a relatively sound sleeper.
Hours later when it would start to get light and some of it started to leak into the den she would sit up, either off his shoulder or of the ground if he sat her down. Serena stood to stretch but didn’t dare take a step towards the outside of the cave. The red head finished stretching before sitting herself back down. Trying to be as quite as she could to let the other sleep. She felt bad enough for putting him in danger for what she was. She was hungry, from having run so much last night and for not having eaten since lunch yesterday with her mom when everything had been normal. . . it wasn’t long after she had gotten up that she heard a growl and a bark from outside of the cave. Her scared her a bit and curled back over where Niko was. Nudging his side lightly, “Niko…” she said lightly pushing his side. “Uh..um…someone’s here.” She said as quietly as she could. She didn’t anyone outside hearing her.
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Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2012 6:52 pm
"Don't mention it," Niko replied, settling down next to her. When Serena leaned against him, he snapped out of the thoughts that were floating around his head and glanced at her. Were all humans this trusting? he wondered. Or was this one just feeling so overwhelmed and hopeless that any comforting touch was worth the risk to fall asleep in the presence of a demon she'd just met? The things she'd heard from him definitely weren't what anyone would call hopeful but he was always one to tell things as they were. Niko expected the same from others, even when his parents were murdered; all he wanted to know was the facts and then be left alone. On the other hand, humans were delicate creatures... in his time spent in their world he heard them running circles around the truth with their words. He snorted at the thought. Eventually Niko drifted into a light sleep, making sure to keep the miniature wind storm around his den to deter any potential visitors.
As the first diffused rays of sunlight pestered his eyes, he heard Serena get up and stretch but decided to give her some privacy if she so desired it. When she alerted him about someone being outside, he turned his face into the pile of leaves and muttered, "maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away." The last thing he wanted was to talk to any member of his pack, especially the one he knew to be attempting to rouse him at such an awful time of day. Mornings were the worst time of day in Niko's opinion and should not exist. The barks continued to get more persistent and Niko finally growled, relenting to go meet the Alpha, wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers showing off his toned pale body. His fangs were showing when he asked, "can I help you?"
The Alpha's eye brow shot up so fast over his golden eye Niko thought it might escape from his face. His hair was black with a mix of white just beginning to show. "Where is it?" he growled, ignoring Niko’s quip.
Niko looked at him, blinked once, and shrugged.
"What are you thinking?" the Alpha shouted, glancing past him. "You can't just keep a human like a pet! Your habit of exploring that filth of a world is hardly tolerable. If other demons find out that one of those things is in your possession, they'll kill us all. Get rid of it."
If only you knew what “that thing” really is, he thought sardonically. "No," Niko said calmly.
"What?"
"I said no," he repeated. From a distance, he could hear mumbled words.
The golden color of the Alpha's eyes reflected a red hue as he glared at Niko, growling low in his chest. "Either it goes, or you go."
Without a moment's hesitation, Niko replied, "fine," and turned his back on the Alpha.
"What?" Angel gasped, from a few feet away.
"Let's go," the Alpha ordered. There were a clamor of protests and begging but the Alpha hollered, "enough! We're done here." And that was it. All the chattering stopped as the pack followed solemnly. Even Angel lingered for a moment but Niko ignored her as he packed his small collection of items into a sack that he could carry over his shoulder in either form. As much as they disliked each other, she probably felt guilty for going to the Alpha. Niko didn’t regret his choice, he felt little connection with his fellow wolf demons anyway.
When the last item was packed, he threw on his clothes and looked at Serena. They needed to get days away from here and fast. There was no way that she could go through the Underworld looking like she did. "You need to change into your fox form. And keep it until we can get away from here. It will be hard to communicate but you just have to follow my lead." Hopefully it wouldn't be difficult for her to transform. He had been doing it without much thought for three hundred and sixteen years. There really wasn't any advice he thought to give her that would be helpful. "If at any point you feel like you're going to change back...I wish I could say pretend your life depends on it but, in reality, it does. We'll have to stick to the underground but it's the safest." The underground was a series of landmarks that led to different places depending on which order you followed them in. There were no trails and the brush was usually thick enough to provide cover from other demons. Most times, demons using the underground were using it to avoid detection themselves and did all they could to avoid others and there were only a handful who knew how to use it effectively.
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Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2012 11:12 pm
When she had fallen sleep next to him she hadn’t meant to lean over on him. She was just so tired and over whelmed by everything that she just wanted to sleep and forget everything that had happened. Unfortunately as the morning had come around she was still in a demons den and her mother was still missing. After she woke Niko about there being someone outside the den he grumbled for a second but then headed out. Serena on the other hand stayed in the back of the den hiding behind one of the rock walls. She didn’t really mean to try and eardrop, but it was kind of hard to no hear what was going on. When suddenly he said fine to leaving her eyes widened. He was choosing to protect her instead of stay with his pack!? She could have sworn he was going to give her up to them. She was already planning of rushing out of the den and changing and just trying to make a run for it. But he hadn’t let them have her. Instead he came back and immediately started packing his things.
After he got his clothes on and spoke to her, Serena could only nod. She was still a little shocked that he had chosen her over his pack. From what she knew wolves kept to their packs, that was their families. “Okay, I think I will be able to..I don’t mean to be such a bother.” She pulled a rubber band from her pocket and pulled her hair up into a pony tail before shifting forms. Once he was ready she followed him out of the den keeping as close to him as she could as they ran. Serena was barely half the size of Niko in the form. She looked like a full grown fox but compared to his size she could be a puppy. At least he was only a head taller than her in her human form. Anyways! Serena found it easy to keep up with him on four legs. She had never been able to run this fast before. Though it was odd being on four legs it also felt natural and she kind of liked it. But she pushed that thought off, this wasn’t her. Just a damn curse for having a demon father.
Traveling for the first day wasn’t that hard. Sometimes Serena wouldn’t understand what Niko wanted her to do but she caught on to some. They took a few short little brakes for water. Which was fine but Serena was starting to get hungry. She hadn’t eaten in over a day. She seriously felt like she could east a cow right now. The suns were starting to set and she slowed down barking at him. Serena looked around making sure no one would see as she changed. “Can we please stop for the night? I’m starving.” She really hated to be one of those girls that complained but damn it she was hungry and was going to get some food in her stomach. She had spotted some fallen trees a little ways back that they could crawl under and sleep there for the night. Though she would only tell him they would have shelter for the night if he helped her find food.
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Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 9:17 pm
Food. Niko looked at Serena before transforming himself, and continued to look at her with a perplexed expression. Right. He blinked. "Um..." What was there that she wouldn't be instantly repulsed by? Human food was nothing like the animals and plants that were in the Underworld. Supposedly it took three weeks for a human to die of starvation without a lack of water. Niko didn't think Serena was at that point where she would eat anything. "Of course..." Maybe if he found something vegetarian? Or something that looked remotely close to a human animal? His ears drooped a bit as he thought. Starting a fire was out of the question; despite the slim possibility of someone or something looking for them while traveling the underground, a fire increased the chances of being discovered. No matter how one looked at it, a fire was not worth the risk. Which meant eating raw meat. He blinked again. Somehow he doubted that would go over well. Finally Niko turned away looking towards the mounds of rock, dirt, and bones the inhabitants of the Underworld called mountains.
Suddenly, he smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand and shook his head, mumbling to himself. His mind had been cluttered with so many thoughts and possible plans that he had been following the underground subconsciously. Niko had completely overlooked the fact that the next land mark was a cluster of durian* trees that acted as a gate through a narrow mountain pass. Serena would probably be happy to eat a durian or two and Niko would feel a little more secure once they were among the maze of rocks and bones. "If we push hard, we can make the next landmark within the hour. I can get you food there. I promise."
Just as he transformed into his wolf form, he thought of a better idea, though he wasn't sure the girl would like it. It was in her favor though; they would get to the next landmark faster, she would be able to save her strength, and he wouldn't worry so much about someone snatching her from beneath his nose. At least, not literally with this idea. Niko waited until she was in her fox form before leaping beside her and snatching her by the scruff of her neck and then started to run at near top speed. By no means did he think she was incapable. As a wolf, Niko simply had longer legs and therefore longer strides.
The pungent, raw, smell nearly formed an invisible gelatinous bubble in the air as they neared the durian trees. At the speed Niko was running, there would be no time for their noses to even get slightly used to the smell. Within the next few minutes, ahead was a cluster of trees hundreds of feet tall with only a few feet of trunk showing at the very bottom. The rest of the trees were layered with red and green leaves and clusters of fruits with spikes near as long as Niko's hand. If a demon was lucky enough to either be under fifty pounds or be able to squish its body then it could weave its way through the trunks and appear on the other side with little more than a few scratches from the bark. Most other demons had to plunge through the fruit trees braving the nearly unbreakable spikes that often pierced more than skin. Fortunately, Niko had learned an even better trick and as he continued forward, a whirlwind of sorts aided his leap over the defensive fruit trees. It was as close to flying as would ever get on his own and he loved it every time he did it.
His paws reached the rocky ground effortlessly using the wind to buffer his landing. Niko lightly placed Serena on the ground and transformed into his demon form. A path no wider than three demons lay ahead, with sharp points, dull bones, and the occasional patch of greenery breaking through a crack. While it was the worst place to be caught, it was the best place to hide. Most demons would use the larger, less enclosed paths for faster travel through the mountains. "I know the smell is horrible but, they taste good." He picked up a large rock and threw it at a cluster of the fruits. A few dropped and bounced on the ground and he picked them up by the stem. They were nearly three times the size of his hand. "I've seen these in the human world," he started to explain. "Although these are far better in my opinion. Legend has it that a demon named Durian was running from his enemies and decided to hide in the human world. He had been enjoying a few of these when his enemy found him and he ran. The seeds took root and they started to grow."
Using his claw, Niko cut between the spikes and pried the fruit apart revealing a fleshy bright yellow interior. He handed the two halves to Serena and pried open another one, plopping on a nearby rock. "There are only three ways to get here, through the trees, back that way, and the air so if anyone's coming, I'll know before they realize we're here, so we can eat and then find someplace to rest for the night." He used his claw to cut out a piece of the fruit and spear it, popping it into his mouth. A lizard looking creature scurried over the rocks, eying the fleshy part of the fruit, sticking its tongue out in hopes of reaching a piece. It had iridescent purple skin and six eyes; one on its head, one on each limb, and one larger eye on the end of its tall. Niko raised a brow at it and it hurried closer. Giving in, Niko tossed it a piece of fruit and watched the creature wrap its tongue around it and hurry off, back the way it came.
*http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/11/12/strange-bizarre-fruit-vegetables/
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:57 pm
When he changed back she wasn’t sure how to red the look on his face. She knew that there was thin chances that their wouldn’t be anything here like human food. It took him a moment but he finally said he would get her something. Serena raised an eyebrow as she watched him look around then smack himself in the forehead when he looked around. Could he really not find something? Or maybe he was trying to think of something that would resemble human food. So far she hadn’t seen any plants that looked like normal ones…well at least normal ones to her. Soon Niko was talking and her attention went back to him. Hearing that they only had a little more ways to go and he would get some food Serena nodded she figured that she could push on for a little while longer. As he changed back to his wolf form she got back down into her fox form and shook her fur out ready to travel once again.
Though as he came towards her she didn’t like the look in his eyes. Before she knew it Niko grabbed her by the back of her neck and took off running. Serena had let out a couple growls and barks of protest but he held on to her and continued to run. She curled up into his hold letting him run. It wasn’t uncomfortable but at the same time it was weird having him carry her like this. Even with this saving sometime in traveling. She noticed over the time they had been traveling her senses had been getting stronger. She could see better, hear a lot more, and smell different things, some that she would rather not smell. In the end though it was kind of neat what these new senses were. Guess being part demon wasn’t all that bad. Soon she noticed they were nearing a cluster of trees and Niko wasn’t slowing down. Serena let out a bark of protest but he continued on only getting faster she closed her eyes, and then felt him jump.
Soon they were on the ground again and he set her down letting go of the fur on her neck. Serena was shaking lightly but had enough sense to shake herself out and change back into her human for a little while after Niko had changed. When she looked around she had to rub her nose. He was defiantly right, this smell was nothing she wanted to be around too long. Though she knew her nose would get somewhat used to it in a little while. As he went on talking about the smelly fruits Serena found a spot to sit near him on a rock and stretched out her legs while he cut into it and pulled it a part. When handed some she took it. She couldn’t help but sniff it and twitch her nose. This defiantly did not smell the greatest. But he stomach growled and she picked at the fruit getting some then taking a bite. After a moment she swallowed. It wasn’t that bad, she dug in and started to take another bite. The red head continued to snack on hers until she had eaten most of it. The fruit was pretty filling. Eating her she couldn’t help but watch as Niko ate his and then tossed a piece to a odd looking lizard that ran out between some rocks.
After a little while of silence she looked over to him again from the path that was ahead of them. “What are we going to do from here? Just keep running?” She knew it was her fault he was drug into this but she knew nothing of this place or what to do about her mother. . . Then a thought struck her. “Will you help me find my dad?” Serena knew it was a one in a billion or more chance in finding him but she had to at least try right? “Help me find him and maybe he could do something.” Her father had to have done something to help have hid her from other demons for this long maybe he could throw off their trails again?
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2012 8:02 pm
Being behind the durian trees almost lulled Niko into a false sense of security. Maybe it was the landscape with only narrow pathways leading through the mountains so it was easy to hear approaching demons or creatures. Or maybe it was the invasive thoughts trying to push their way to the forefront of his mind: thoughts of when he ran these narrow and jagged paths trying playfully to catch his father until the sun went down. After their game of tag in the mountains was done, his father would always carefully carry a durian fruit by the longest spike and present it to his mother as if had nearly cost him half his hide to bring back. Other times they would explore the caves that were scattered along the mountain paths looking for any piece of “treasure” some demon may have dropped; most times they found a tooth or a forgotten garment of clothing.
Now that he was older, Niko realized the games that his father devised was a fun way to engrave a map of the underground into his mind should the time ever come that he need to navigate it without conscious thought. The only difference was, he was alone. Without his father to protect him from the sudden unexpected cliff or old forgotten trap set years before that were weathered into the surrounding environment. And his father had friends, contacts, in various parts of the Underworld should the need ever arrive when he needed “outside” help. Then again, no one ever mocked his father like they did him. Would his father help a Halfling? Niko snorted and pushed the question from his mind. Of course he would have. A frowned formed as his eyebrows creased together. He would have had a solid plan within five minutes after realizing what she was…
As if to echo his thought and bring his mind back to the present, Serena’s question of where they were going next caused his ears to fold. At the mention of trying to find her father, his ears nearly folded flat against his head. The Underworld was so vast, no demon had ever been able to find a boundary or an end. Some demons dedicated their entire lives, hundreds of thousands of years, all to no avail. Throw in the fact that foxes and wolves weren’t on terribly friendly terms and that Halflings were one of the most hated creatures, the odds of finding even someone in her father’s den were almost impossible. If they were still alive… Demons tended to be indiscriminate when targeting a subject; entire groups of demons had been destroyed because one demon pissed off another demon and its family.
The words died in his throat when Niko glimpsed look in her eyes. It was the same look that stared back at him when he saw his reflection in a still puddle all those years ago. A mix of hope not quite daring to rise to the surface in a pool of despair. Sometimes, even a false hope was enough to just keep dragging one foot in front of the other. With a resigned sigh, he asked, “do you know your father’s name?”
Niko doubted her father would be able to do much more than he already had, by trying to keep her hidden in the human world for as long as possible, if he were alive and they did manage to find him by some miracle. Maybe by an even bigger miracle, if they did somehow manage to track down her father, or even a member of his den who was sympathetic towards his daughter, he might know someone who would be able to help. He once again looked over her human form; the delicateness of her skin, the softness in her eyes, the emotion that surrounded her like a second skin. What did he really have to lose? A life he never truly felt he had, or would, live? “Maybe I can hunt down a mage demon, and not lose my life in the process of getting him or her to cast a spell so you can at least change forms without raising suspicion…for however spells last…”
He vaguely recalled his father mentioning a clan of mage demons somewhere along the underground. Unfortunately his father either mentioned it in passing or Niko was entirely too absorbed in something else to have fully absorbed the information. It was the best option Niko could think of right at the moment.
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Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 8:08 pm
After she had asked him about where they were going and about her father he could see his ears folding flat against his head. That wasn’t good, she had learned that not just from watching him but from other animals in the human world. Most animals that had large ears that stuck up like his would fold them back against his head when they were upset about something. She figured it was the same for him, plus she could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t sure what to do. Serena felt bad then for bringing it up, maybe she should have waited a little while longer or simple not brought it up at all. She didn’t want to put him in any more danger that he already was in for helping her. Going to find her father or even her mom would only make the situation worse probably. Though Serena couldn’t help but pray that he would still help her. At least to get her to her father and see if he could help.
Her demon father to had to have at least lover her and her mother a little bit at one time. Plus she had stayed hidden for so long because someone hid her and her mother. If there was even a small chances that that could be done again she was going to take it. So when he asked if she knew her father’s name she nodded. A tiny smile that was barely noticeable touched her lips as she quickly ate another slice of the fruit before telling him. “Renard.” She told him remembering the name her mom had told her the day she had told her about what she was. She hadn’t been told much about him other than he was a fox demon and that Serena looked a lot like him. Same red hair and bright green eyes, her mom also told her he was someone that no one could ever miss. Apparently he was a very high up demon, at least for the fox demons. Hell even those that weren’t followed him sometimes. Serena was glad that her father was well respected and probably feared. Then again that could be a bad thing too cause that meant he could also have a lot of enemies.
Serena pushed the thoughts from her head as she finished the part of the fruit she was eating. It had filled her up quiet fast and she was ready for some rest. Though she wasn’t sure if he wanted to keep going or if he was also ready to rest. Serena had to admit that being in the little area they had found to ret was quiet peaceful. An as Niko had mentioned they could hear and see when anyone would come up near them so they would know to go on the defensive. Tossing the extra of the fruit that couldn’t be eaten to the side Serena moved from her spot on a rock to on the ground kind of near Niko. “Would you mind if we rested here for the night?” She asked resting back against part of the stone. She pushed her hands through her hair; she must look like a mess after being chased through a forest and changing into a fox and traveling through another world. Leaning back again she closed her eyes and changed into the fox form. Surprising her she felt comfortable like that, not to mention it was easier to sleep in this form since she didn’t have a nice soft place to sleep. Serena curled up into a nice little ball next to Niko and settled down for as much rest as she could get before they took off again in the morning.
((Kind of short sorry.))
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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 5:55 pm
"Renard... Never heard of him." Niko took the empty fruit shells and tossed them like a Frisbee, watching as a few flying creatures emerged from their hidden homes and grabbed the shells using beaks or claws, some had hand like appendages, and disappeared again. A name was a starting point though, instead of endlessly running hoping to find a deserted island somewhere in the Underworld, since it was infinitely larger than the mortal Earth, that would have resources enabling them to survive for ...more or less... the rest of their lives. Demons were stubborn. And they did not give up hunting prey that wasn't meant to be food. As for prey who killed their hunter or hunters, they just gained more hunters who were looking for revenge for killing the original hunter. The thoughts were making his head hurt so he sighed and slid down onto the ground with his hands around his ankles supporting his weight.
"It doesn't look like you're giving me much choice," he pointed out offhandedly, watching her change back into a fox. At least she was getting more comfortable with changing and keeping forms. Now if he could just figure out what, if any, powers she had, and how to use them. He really hoped she had some other form of defense other than being rather small and quick. He was so lost in his thoughts for a bit, he hardly noticed Serena, lightly asleep, next to his hip. Relenting to the tiredness he had been trying to fight, Niko changed into his wolf form, subconsciously wrapping a paw in front of her, and drifted into a dream filled sleep.
In the morning, if anyone other than a morning-demon could call it that, Niko was rudely awoken to a painful stabbing in his tail which, he discovered while trying to move it to settle the pain, it was paralyzed. One eye propped open and he had to bite back a growl. There, on his tail, was a damn durian fruit, stuck in the ground, thereby pinning his tail with it's near unbreakable spikes. On top of the fruit, was a little feathered creature the size of the fruit attempting to remove the fruit from its earthly restrained in vain. With is teeth, Niko yanked the fruit, and creature, from hit tail, and tossed them both. Happily, the feathered creature got a good grip on the fruit and flew away, leaving him to lick his bloody tail.
Now wide awake, he rested his head on his paws and glared at the nearest rock. His tail throbbed. His stomach was growling. And a headache was starting to form behind his eyes. When the suns were nearly half way above the horizon, Niko finally decided to disentangle himself from Serena and do something productive: cut up another fruit and eat it. He jabbed his nail into the shell and managed to not to tear apart the fruit while projecting his anger onto it. He could feel the blood and spit drying to form matted tangles of fur. His brow twitched as he took a bite of the fruit waiting for Serena to get up so they could get moving.
In order to begin to search for her father, they would have to get off the underground. In order to get off the underground, Serena would need to be disguised to not look like a human. In order to be disguised, they needed a mage demon. Preferably one who would be incredibly intimidated by a very angry wolf demon who would have no problems tearing said mage demon limb from limb should he or she not cooperate and keep their mouth shut. Niko also needed an explanation as to why he was mingling with another species of demon, or worse, if anyone were to figure out she was human. He didn't even want to think about the possibility of anyone finding out she was a Halfling. Which meant, she was going to have to meet the mage demon as a human.
With so many thoughts and possibilities running through his mind, it took Niko a good fifteen minutes to focus on making up some sort of semi-believable story. Should anyone ask, he decided, he was going to say that he was using Serena to get to Renard who owed him a very large and extremely overdue debt. Regardless of whether Renard paid up or not, the little fox, or measly human, whichever form was hopefully never discovered, was going to become his next lunch. Therefore, if any demon should ask such questions, Niko was going to make the fact very clear that said demon should do nothing to get in his way or take her place as his next meal.
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