☾ Pythian Desert

@♆ Choi Seunghyun [Warning: Violence]

For a long time, I dreamt of your ugly face. Those eyes pure with hate as I remembered being branded. Each night a terror, soul crushing and filled with unpleasant emotions. Every time I awake, the desire to crush every bones in your body becomes a motivation for me that I must return and stop you from destroying what I aim to fight for.

The heat of the dessert under the blazing sun finally surrounds us. I expect somehow you'd be uncomfortable as light peeks through the gaps. Or should I be honest and want you to remember your iniquities - maybe repent from it. Muscles tensing, blood boiling and I balled my fist ready to inflict pain when you awake.

"Please don't kill me."

You shivered. I cannot lie and say I didn't enjoy you begging. I turned around, a grin flashing across my face and picked up the dagger lying around. "Don't hurt you? You're mistaken. This is time for reckoning, Dr. Choi."

“Reckoning?” You spoke in desperation. "Do I know you?"

Like a spark that started a fire, those words ignited the hatred in my heart. I leaped forward, grabbing you by the collar. "Don't play dumb with me, Choi." My jaw tightened as I inched my face towards you. "How can you forget what you did to me? To the Queen and to her. And what are you planning to do with my kin?"

But you kept shaking your head as if you're too frightened. Far from the image of your once-infamous grin. "Please---sir... I have no idea---what are you talking about---"

My chest tightened unsure of the way your reacting. Arrogant - that is who you were.
With those words, slowly plunged the dagger deep into your flesh. A piercing scream filled the air as it went into your shoulder. "Bull! We both know you're lying."

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@☾ Dong Youngbae The twilight came as if to foreshadow the inevitable rising of the sun. People probably still in the comforts of their beds, warm and all snuggled in pairs. It is not the case for the me, I am created to be on the go. But the vessel I have chosen weakened by that attack. He needed blood and quick. I didnt care for his well-being but this body serves its purpose. His peers easy to manipulate and they paid a good sum of gold and silver to toy with few wolves. An act of superiority of the upper class. “They must pay.” They declared despite the neutral stand of the werewolves during the Battle of the Brothers. “Hatred burn in their hearts.” Chaos murmured in my ears. “We must keep it alive. Enemies since the dawn of time.”

Choi, this doctor, he is a dormant mad man. I just toyed with his emotions and his bitterness became his downfall. Lucky for me, he is not a mere human soldier but a decorated vampire with wealth and influence when i took over. In time what’s his will be all mine, including that boy he stupidly pitied. “What a joke of a man.” I told one of the vampire lady Seunghyun shared interests with. Myungsoo, my ‘little brother’, will have his time like that hybrid the doctor calls ‘my dear sister’

“This stinking dog, what does he want?” I wondered after being woken up by that sharp sting radiated from my face. I felt a bone cracked from the force. His voice filled with anger and longing. In my head I said, “Yes.Oh yes. Be angry.”

I know of you, Dong Youngbae,the wolf he loathes. I was there when he mercilessly tortured you. I am the voice feeding off his anger. But the doctor paid attention to guilt and left you on the streets. He cannot bring himself to kill that way yet.

I opened my eyes, turning my head to face you. I gasped and my body shivered, “Please don’t kill me. I can give you silver and gold. Please dont hurt me.”

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@♆ Choi Seunghyun A raving night filled boost and smoke. The green lights illuminating, cutting through the darkness. Shadows dancing, people cheering and bodies grinding on another filled my vision as I let my body gave in to the music. I have to dance suggestively, rolling my hips and ing forward a little to earn money. I thought nothing was wrong with that since I do not mind the attention and playfulness of the patrons.

But then I saw you, Choi Seunghyun together with your peers - all porcelain skinned and charming the people you meet. Night after night, you’re there- a bit peculiar since you’re a doctor. “Aren’t doctors always needed?” I questioned everything to the point I observe you from a far. It hunts me. It still does. Forgive they say, but i cannot. Not until I have my revenge.

Then one day, a mercenary reached out asking me if I know any blossoming wolf. Strange that he would ask a wolf that. I know some but I lied. “I’m sorry, mate.” I remembered telling him. There is no need to be alarmed. It is a traders talk. You rub my shoulders, I rub yours. But when I saw you talking to him, I got worried.

Days passed and I cannot sleep knowing you’re a monster, not a healer. I mustered all the courage to ask the mercenary if I can grab some of the reward. He hesitantly agreed but he is trouble meeting his quota. I pretended to seek wolves. Playing along till I heard you’re going to my homeland. “How arrogant.” I thought. So I followed you despite the crippling anxiety of being your fun experiment. I held my chest as I hide in the shadows, the scar you left felt like burning cast iron on my skin. It is itchy and unbearable. By the time the mercenary turned his back, I jumped and shifted into the beast I am. With my sharp canine teeth I dragged you down from that carriage. Foul smell of blood soaking my fur but I did not let go nor tear your neck. It is just enough for you to faint. To live despite you being undead. Back in my human form, I stood tall above you, gripping your hair till you meet my gaze.

“Hello grandpa, remember me?” I spoke and you gasped. You closed your eyes and for a moment I thought I claimed victory. I held your unconscious body under the shade of my tent. I chained you down with silver chains. And waited for you to wake up till I saw the first light of the day. I held my fist in the air and swung it across your face. “Oy! Wake up!”

Little did I know, you’re now a demon disguised as the Cold One.

@☾ Dong Youngbae [Please don’t mind this spontaneous craziness. ^_^]

The badge I wear is far beyond the reach of the emblem of lordship. For a vampire doctor like me transcends time and knowledge. It goes deeper than opiums and concoctions. An ancient text that cannot be put into writing. That is how, I, the demonic entity of bad omen and deception travelled here in the Pythian Dessert as him.

This plan shocked my peers of conservative vampires. I cannot bring them to agree but I am seeking for the mercenary. A gamble considering my skin is that of a mortal enemy. I paid bags of gold and silver to make it possible for the vessel to walk in daylight and fight the unforgiving heat of the dessert. A cloak and a locket keeping me from being burnt alive.

Desolate. Everything was scattered. Free yet scared to raise on the ranks. “Pity” i said as I hide myself behind the black cloak I am wearing.

“Are you sure no one will find out?” A man small, with a hair and beard so unkempt, it is hard to believe there is a face behind that hair. I hand him a bag filled with precious jewels. “Unless you tattletale.” I said and turned my back on him.

“What are you going to do with them?” He asked that I stopped on my track, staring at the concealed box behind my carriage.

I climbed on the driver’s box and held the rein tightly and said, “None of your business.”

About to journey back to Central, I felt the wind changed. Something or someone suddenly jumped behind me. My neck throbbing as i was dragged left and right. Everything blurred as i hit the rough sand. Surprised i wasn’t able to comprehend what’s next.

“Hello, grandpa. Remember me?”

That voice. A familiar scent.

“You—-“ I gasped and blacked out.

@❇︎ Xiaojun *looks at her palms that had scrapes and gashes*
...
*without a word, she jumps to the sinkhole, knowing there's water underneath*

@☾ Winter ¥ /he keeps an eye out on the surroundings, taking mental notes for his journal./
Were you not being careful? Are you okay from the fall? Did you get hurt?
/he studied the sinkhole before kneeling down, placing a hand on the sinkhole and letting his magic disperse to gather information/

@❇︎ Xiaojun I fell.
*still making her way to where she had found the drawings, then stops by the pit that seems to be a sinkhole not just too long ago*
Here.
*points at the huge hole*

@☾ Winter ¥ /he gets dragged, but it's not like it was his first rodeo. At least this time, he actually agreed prior and enjoy the company of Winter/
How did you end up finding the drawing, Wolfie?

@☾ Sora Choi￥✔ /cuddling into the sand, ready to get lulled to sleep by the hot sun when a shadow covers me
/i assume its a cloud and wait but its not moving, and then it starts to talk
/raises a hand to shield from the Sun as I open my eyes, soon lowering it because... you're blocking the Sun/
/stares at you for a few moments, not recognising you immediately on your beetle/
Oh, Sora! /would get up but the sand is comfortable/
I'm taking a nap. Do you want to join?
/my eyes drift to the beetle your on, a hunger flashing in my eyes; I over my lips/

@♆ ♕ Huang Mi Ni /lifts her goggles riding the sand from her face when she spots a familiar demon./
Princess? What are you doing?
/she holds on tightly to the reigns of her Sand Beatle staring down at you./

/shifts in discomfort because sand is getting everywhere, but also starts piling sand into a makeshift pillow
/its nice and warm here, almost reminds me of home but not quite

/camel bones clean lie nearby

/covers myself in sand to take a nap

@☾ Dong Youngbae The sun beats down on her back relentlessly. Lucky for Sora, she was prepared to return to her kingdom. Pythian Desert nearly only had one season of intense summers all year long, with the occasional sub-zero tundra-like night that could quickly freeze any living being to death. She bounces up and down on the back of her desert roller beetle at high speeds. Grains of sand mercilessly pounded at her rider goggles as the crawler lurched forward towards the gate entrances. "Yah, Yah!" Sora halts the bug's movements with a light kick to its side when she spots a familiar shape in the distance.
"What? How the hell-" She fumbles for the correct string of swear words before abandoning her rambling monologue altogether. When the crawler finally catches up to you, Sora tugs back on the antenna, pivoting left, and cutting in front of you. "Hey, what's the matter with you? Are you tired of dying of heat or something? Why are you on foot?"

@☾ Toshiya Resting her back against the wall behind her along with the back of her head she closed her eyes for the moment inhaling and exhaling as she was trying her best to calm down from walking so much. But not the walking was the real problem... She had a deep wound that was troubling her that was making it hard to breath and even hard to sit. Her lower stomach had been injured quite bad after the last fight yet she didn't give up, that's what her parents and elder brother taught her.. to never give up.
Blood was dripping and leaking through her fingers as she was covering the wound even though she managed to wrap it up. She had to find a doctor, otherwise she wouldn't make it by tomorrow.

"Oh god.. what is this horrible pain? Agh.." Knowing very well it would be dangerous to fall asleep and even stay in one place with that open wound she picked herself up .. somehow and found herself walking to nowhere. As she was taking step by step a certain scent hit her, making her whole body shiver ... She did not know if any of her pack was still alive or not but this smell brought her back home, to her real home. Chaerin found herself frowning "What if this is a trap..?" She muttered to herself but the curiosity got her well so she slowly followed the scent cautiously looking behind her, and to her sides not to be caught off guard.
Soon, she spotted a tall, very fit guy that seemed to resemble her brother very very well "It can't be real.. oh my god.. I think I am hallucinating." Her eyes were soon filled with tears as she couldn't help herself but smile and giggle uncontrollably from the excitement built inside her, however the pain did not let her express herself to the best as she soon found herself whimpering.

@☾ Lee Chaerin ¥ From the stress of the engagement and simply just being home sick, Toshiya found himself back on to his home land. Sand depressing beneath his feet with each step he took and the smell of the air that hit his nose. Everything just said “home”. A small breeze pushed past the lone wolf and within that breeze was a certain scent that sparked something within Toshiya. Feet stopped in their tracks just for the wolf to sniff the air. It’s familiar to him. Far too familiar. “No…” Toshiya turned into the opposite direction from his path to follow the scent. “It can’t be... It's not possible. Please be real."

After being exiled from her own pack, Chaerin found herself wandering here and there for a place to settle down and rest but no surrounding seemed to tickle her enough to consider it a proper "home". Eventually, she was extremely exhausted from walking for days and decided to take a rest somewhere far away into the desert. Her nose picked up a couple of scents.. which seemed to be familiar yet not. Not too far away from her there was a cavern in which she decided to rest for a while to gain new strengths, hoping that the place wasn't someone else's house.

The disappearance of the human queen and the recent news of his best buddy pending wedding, the lone wolf had nowhere to go but home. He remained unchained and away from the burden of slavery. A good lady bought his freedom because of a war she had with her lover then. He owed the woman everything and his best bud all the fun memories. However, Taeyang must face his own journey and the consequences of being away from home for a long time. His own clan might have forgotten his iniquities, or maybe not. He always wondered about if that young girl still lives. And so, under the boiling heat of the sun and the unfriendliness of the desert sand, Taeyang carried his satchel and entered the kingdom once more.

“No place like home.”