today never happened before {open}

[Maya]

Zurri
My [ p r i s o n ] is walking through this world all alone

The fog rolled in thickly. It coiled around the rough bark of the sturdy trees that boasted their mighty strength, standing defiant through all the rage that Mother Nature had pelted them with. The fog caused an insulated coating, making the air muggy and slightly humid even if it was only spring. A time for new life to unfurl its hidden wings and grace the world with its vibrant colors that had been stifled for months at a time. The only exception was that there were no colors that flaunted their array of hues. Shades of gray stood predominate over all else. It created an eerie glow, staining the world with its lack of color and dulling the pigmentation of the foliage that strived to stand out but to no avail. The sun was high but even its noble rays could not pierce through the fog coverage that lay so far below, rendering its attempts immobile and making it impossible to disperse the clouds that grappled at the forest floor.

She felt comfortable here, disguised amongst the fog that aided in her quest to not be seen. A young female walked along the steady trees, wondering to herself if they could lend her their stability and strength if only for a day; she just wanted to see what it was like to say “no” to her superiors. Maybe here they wouldn’t find her but even then, they had the uncanny ability to seek her out. Even if she didn’t want to be seen—they saw her. They depicted her out from the crowd easily, and the pack members often sneered at her. It didn’t matter anymore. She appeared in shades of gray, and thus, Zurri’s coat melted and bled over into the fog which melded them together to create unity. It was days like these that the three year old female took advantage of. She could easily hide in the fog that offered her shelter. It permitted her to not be seen and become invisible even if only for a couple of hours. Dark brown eyes peeked at the scenery that lay before her. Here, she could look straight ahead into the depths of nothingness and not get scolded. She could see everything instead of just remembering wolves by their paw colors and sizes. It was here that she could escape from her pitiful rank of an omega and become whatever she so wished to be.

Zurri sighed, watching as the wall of fog in front her warped slightly before it gave way into her passing body. Her tail lay limp behind her and after years of being used to it that way, she was skeptical it even wagged anymore. Her dull eyes looked at the world around her with a bleak outlook. She was too used to the ways of an omega. She had chores to fulfill but even then her work wasn’t finished. She would stand there and take beating after beating if she did something wrong, or maybe just be a pack members outlet for whatever rage they stifled for far too long. The wind blew past her, ruffling the coat that faded into darker and lighter shades of gray. It aroused her coat, revealing the numerous scars that were always hidden. It seemed that her physical scars were also worn mentally, as well. Zurri had never indulged in the life of being care free and happy. She never had that opportunity. From day one, she had been told she was useless and demoted from the rank of a subordinate to an omega. Even her siblings were at that lowly rank but Zurri took it to heart, and after hearing the timeless phrase being repeated to her time and time again… She began to believe it. At a young age, the eagerness to live and thrive within her life had been banished. All she knew was all she wished she could forget.

The wind fell away, passing her by without a second glance. Zurri glanced around her cautiously and tested the air to see if any other wolf was hiding in the depths of the forest. She inhaled briskly and was relieved. There was no dominating scent that would send her on edge and make her feel self-conscious even if she did feel that way. Zurri progressed further into the woodland, wanting to get lost in its never-ending expanse. She knew it was impossible. Someone would realize that she was gone after having been ordered to stay at the camp. She had finished all her duties and no one was around. They wouldn’t miss her, she was sure of that. She hardly ever spoke and thus, she was just another wolf in the background. Just another living soul that graced the world and no one knew existed. ’Some existence. Her thoughts hissed but Zurri shrugged it off. At least she was still breathing. Her petite body moved through the growth, weaving her way into uncertainty. She had no direct route planned and that didn’t bother her. There was an even lesser chance that the pack could detect her presence along the woods. She barely pressed into the ground covered with blackened leaves that had been unrightfully stripped away from the overhanging tree limbs. Zurri halted her small strides suddenly, gazing down at the bounty of decaying leaves that lay at her paws. Those leaves were just like her. They, too, were abandoned, worthless, and forgotten.

Zurri’s empty visage now held a grimace at the reality the leaves brought with it. She cringed at the realization and moved away from them but even that was hopeless. They were almost everywhere. She stared straight ahead again, telling herself to not look down. She didn’t want to see the reminders that were eternally there. She had to listen to them everyday, and she never disagreed with the members of the pack. She was ostracized for whatever reason and it was fine by Zurri. All she cared about was that she was not wandering the earth alone and without the forces of a pack. Her inexpressive eyes drifted towards a sickly colored tree and walked in its direction. The tree’s roots were now splayed out in the air having been knocked down by the strong power of some unknown force. Zurri sat at its side, looking forlornly out into the desolate land. So far, this tree was all she had and even Zurri could relate to it more than anyone would ever know and they never will.

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[tiga]

Kiel


A blanket of fog covered an unknown world. It danced around trees and brush, just barely scraping the ground. It created a mask for all the inhabitants of the forest; one which predators would surely appreciate. This was of course true for a wolf who was aimlessly wandering in the forest. Kiel walked on, using the scents he knew so well, and the sounds the woods made to keep him going. Though he had no purpose to be out, it was a nice change. He usually played the warrior—he was one, after all—that seldom showed emotion. He occasionally escaped to the serenity of the woods, and when he did it was always a peaceful experience. There were no other wolves to interrupt his thoughts, which ran wild during his times alone.

Kiel paused a moment; he lifted his muzzle and scented the air. The wind was blowing in his face, and it made for a full whiff of smells. The faint odor of a rabbit, a deer, and just the setting itself. After living in the pack for a year or so, he had come to know the familiar scent of the land. It was unlike any one he had encountered; different from his place of birth and where he spent his time roaming. This was his home now, and he couldn't imagine it any other way. His paws started working forward once more, and got lost in himself.

Out here, there were no problems. There were no pack members to come running because there's a hunt, and they want him to go. There are no pups clumsily loping around, bothering him. It's not like he didn't like the babies that called Leikl their home, but when Kiel was in the pack, he kept a straight, all business attitude. After growing up with a head warrior father, he had inherited a lot of his personality; it could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how it was viewed. He excelled at hunting, despite his occasional stumble, but it made him rather cold in the pack. He would rather blend into the pack than stand out; in fact, he worked rather hard at it. Of course, he wasn't totally anti-social. He just saved that side of him for the wolves he was closest to.

The wolf was so lost in thought he had forgotten where he was going. He stopped in his tracks and looked around, but the thick fog didn't allow for much sight. The farthest he could see was what was at his paws. There were a few scattered twigs, and the whole floor seemed to be made of leaves from the autumns years and years before. His tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth as he let out a few pants. He hardly noticed the slight fatigue that was beginning to plague his body, but it was there. Nothing unbearable, but it did make him want to find a log to lay down next to soon. Kiel felt the need to have something against his side when he laid down, simply so he knew that nothing could really sneak up on him. It was one of those things his father taught him while he was growing up; a lot of Kiel's training as a pup he continued to use.

The faint scent of another wolf wafted into his nostrils, and he froze for a moment. It was a familiar odor, so the wolf was definitely part of the pack he was in, but he didn't want to be found; that was the point of coming out in the middle of nowhere. For a few hours to cease to exist was an amazing phenomena. Kiel started moving again, this time keeping his eyes set on a spot to sit and relax, whether it be for a few seconds or a few hours didn't matter.

Kiel spent a little while longer walking, taking in all the sounds and scents of his home. The gray wolf was impervious to the slight chill in the air from a gush of wind: his dense coat made sure of that. With the wind brought a whole slew of other scents from farther away. They all combined and formed one odor of the green forest, and it pleased the wolf quite a lot. Scents he normally couldn't focus on were now overcoming him, and it was exactly what he loved about being alone. Everything came alive that was normally dead in his mind. Kiel glanced around and spotted a fallen log; exactly what he was looking for. He cautiously walked to it, and after a rather quick examination of the small spot, he deemed it fine. Kiel circled a few times before he laid down, curling his back legs underneath of his belly. His bushy tail surrounded the back end of his body, but he kept his head high. His senses were still on high alert, just in case something were to go awry and disturb him, whether it be a fellow pack member or another predator. Despite the relaxing state of his body, he still had to be on guard. Nature seldom gave you a second chance, and Kiel was well aware of the fact. His ears perked to any subtle sound, the hunter let his body relax, allowing it to blend into the earth underneath him.

[Maya]

Zurri
My [ p r i s o n ] is walking through this world all alone

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Zurri’s blank and steady gaze looked out across the world without truly seeing. She leaned against the rotted surface of the tree beside her for the unspoken support it offered her. She felt all her worries slip away and it was then that her tensed muscles loosened. She felt her guard drop, letting it disappear away from her. The fog was slowly thinning but it remained ahead of her, caking the world with its ominous presence. Zurri glanced to the right, spotting the undergrowth ripple with life. A squirrel bounded out from its hiding place, the leaves on the ground rustling loudly as it darted into hiding once more. Faintly, the scent of blood dripped from the atmosphere, cloaking the air with its metallic smell. Zurri’s eyes snapped towards a cluster of trees, spotting that a hare had become a snack for a fox. She grimaced inwardly, shutting her eyelids and looking away. Her stomach lurched forwards and suddenly rumbled, reminding her that she had not eaten in at least a day. She really didn’t remember the reason as to why she didn’t eat but her best guess was that the pack just forgot to do so. With a grumbling sigh, she sank to the forest floor.

In her sphinx-like position, Zurri was hidden from any eyesight. She stared in front of her, peering into the dank serenity around her. Very few noises were created by the birds and other species which was rather odd to Zurri but it was comforting all the same. The silence was something she had been accustomed to, but even her own thoughts were maddening. On the very rare occasions, she thirsted for companionship but was often alone. She was just placed to the sidelines to just gaze at everyone else conversing. She huffed aloud, pushing the thought away so it wouldn’t dampen her spirits. Her tail curled next to her underbelly, and the movement was a mindless one. She closed her eyelids once more, feeling relaxed and comfortable in the peacefulness the forest offered. Through the black that shrouded her vision, a leering gaze surfaced. A gaze glinted with mirth, glaring at her with a haunting gaze. Zurri immediately jerked her head upwards from off her paws. Her heart leaped out of control. It was her mother’s gaze. ’Should I even call her such a thing? She mused to herself, catching her breath to steady herself.

Zurri glanced over to the trunk beside her and offered it a weak smile as if telling it she was fine as if the tree could actually pick up on her reactions and feelings. How pitiful she felt after she realized what she had just done. The smile faltered and fell away and was then smoothed out into her plain features. Her ears twitched at the sound of an approaching presence. Her heart erratically beat in her chest. Who it was she had no clue. She jumped to the worst conclusions, telling herself that it might be just a predator. ’Just a predator?!’ Her thoughts echoed with alarm. Panicking, she tested the air only to find that it was a wolf of her pack. She wagered what was worse; a pack member or a predator. It was a hard decision and one she could not exactly make at that given point in time. She didn’t really know if she would enjoy being at the jowls of some ferocious beast, or be scolded and potentially beaten for going against the pack and wandering away from camp. Either way, she was certain the outcomes were not going to be rather bright. She shuddered as a wind blew past, suddenly feeling the chill it brought with it. Even though the mugginess the fog provided seemed to be defeated in the tiniest bit or maybe, she was just frightened beyond her wits.

She waited for the figure to come closer but to Zurri’s surprise, she never saw an angered figure come hurtling through the woods, snarling at her with hate in their eyes. Instead, all she saw was the same trees before her. The fog never twisting to make room for the approaching wolf, instead it was all still. Her curiosity was piqued after not being ordered to return to the dens or something of the sort to await whatever consequence. Usually, she would wait until spoken to but before she could back out from calling out, her shaky voice entered the air. ”H-H-Hello? I-I-Is someone there?” Zurri called out into the air, her soft voice almost sounding like a whisper. She stood to her paws, unsure if she should investigate. What if this wolf wanted to be alone or was angry for some unknown reason? She didn’t want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She did have a knack for that, but nevertheless, she sat upright. Her eyes scanning the earth before her in an anxious way, waiting for either a voice to speak up or a figure to randomly appear. Cautiously, she hauled herself to her paws, her body now shaking from the fear that rolled in through her body.

Zurri walked around the tree, prepping herself. Her tail was firmly tucked between her legs, and her head was now lower than before. Her muscles returned to their former state of mind and became taut beneath her grayed coat. She barely saw the wolf lying beside the tree and she halted four feet away. She opened her mouth but no words came out. The vapor from her breath swirled around her, rising into the air but then dissipated. She cleared her thought and rustled the leaves on purpose to get his attention. Her gaze refusing to look up and meet his own.

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