Restaul, Outskirts

Tala followed blindly as they neared the edge of the forest. She was a little surprised at the girl's sudden change in attitude. "Wait. Tala pulled on her arm. "Names before we get there. I'm Tala." She figured it was best that they at least knew something about each other before Tala traipsed blindly into a town she didn't know that well with a girl she didn't know that well.

Anya stopped short at the girl's light touch and looked back curiously, her brow wrinkled slightly as she puzzled at the girl. Why would we bother with names if we're just going to split later? Anya frowned inwardly, but conceded that this small courtesy was best to be allowed. "Anya," she offered gruffly.

The stalks of the grasses stood stiff and straight, though they yielded slightly to the breeze and the weres' passage. Before taking another careful step, Anya looked up. The clouds were gathering like fat old men in dark coats waiting for the bus, readying to dump their worries on the ground below. From miles away, Anya picked up the soft hiss and fresh, clean smell of the approaching curtain of rain.

Wrinkling her nose, Anya stopped for a moment to rummage in her backpack and pull out a rather beaten old raincoat. Nodding in the direction of the oncoming rain, she zipped up the coat, pulling the hood over her head with a rather sharp gesture. "You might want to get something on. It'll be here in a minute."

Ceberus walked in the open in plain view of the two weres, carelessly conversing about. He could see the frustration in the more human looking were with the raincoat. This he was always attracted to. The other could sense it, Ceberus could tell. It made Ceberus want to smile at the pain in the poor weres' heart, but he knew it would be mended after this.

"G'dEvenning, miladies. I have rather important information I need to reveal to you, so be silent and listen. Only speak when I answer a question, unless you wish to feel the pain of this blade," Ceberus said as he stabbed Mayashell into the ground. The demon blade was a rather famous blade and struck fear into all who saw it. It made Ceberus smile. His rightful blade.

"It was fate that brought you two to meet those two alphas back there. And you are quite wrong about them both, might I add," Ceberus said to the were with emerald eyes, "they are not abusive little... wet dogs like you think. They are disgustingly chivalrous and kind to females. But enough of my ranting. Are you at all curious as to why there was such a large gathering of weres that weren't in a pack at all?"

Anya's first warning was the sudden shock of cold she felt pressing against her chest. The H---?! She clasped the stone fang that hung in a leather thong around her neck; she could feel its cold touch even through the cloth of her shirt. Then, for the third time in the past day and a half, the pungent smell of burning sulfur hit her nose, grating raw against her already somewhat frayed nerves. It was strong, echoing that of Lucifer's, but somehow different.

She snarled and whipped around to the source, her entire face screwed into a mask more furious than the Wolf could have ever managed. It took all of her strength not to leap at the demon's neck, flimsy though her nearly human form might be. If there was one thing that she hated above all creatures, it was the demons and their master; every fiber of her body screamed for her to attack him. Even the sight of such an obviously powerful blade simply increased her rage, while his words only disgusted her.

The rain came. Hissing and spitting, huge, cold drops began pooling in the wrinkles of her raincoat. "I don't give a d--- what you've got to say, devilspawn," she choked out, "Get the H--- out of here before I make you."

Ceberus reared back his head and allowed an extreme maniacal laugh to echo throughout the forest. That was the funniest thing he had ever heard in his entire life! The were thought to make him leave! He had never felt more oblidged to stay in his entire life, but he had to be quick. Spica would awaken soon, and he needed to accept her unnavoidable and natural reaction.

"And who's going to stop me? You? My my, weres are frighteningly hilarious! Heed this warning, fight fate, and you will die. I care not about your pitiful and worthless life, except for that you and your companion wolves must remain alive. And don't think that you can just shy away or complete this and all will return to normal; your life, the moment you became a were, was forever f***ed up. Remember this, or it will break you." Ceberus explained. He could see her longing to jump at him and attack, if only she knew it would have no effect.

Raven looked over and sniffed the air around him. He could smell it distinctly, the burning sulfer scent of a demon. He knew the scent very well. He could also smell it mixed with the female scents, along with the smell of rage. This was bad, was the only thought he had.

"Brother Rakel, the females are in trouble. Let us move," Raven said, assuring his weight as an alpha to let him know what he smells.

Rakel felt the forest shake with the new comer as Raven told him to run. Demon he thought. Rakel Reached for his blade, Phoebe, and ran after the other were. No demon would be allowed to harm anyone while he was there.

As they ran Rakel spoke to Raven. "Your speed at knowing what was happening suprised me. Have you dwelt with this kind before?" Not missing a beat they emerged to find a demon talking to the females and a blade between them all.

Tala stood staring at the demon. He smelled like hell. What the f**k was his problem thinking he was all high and mighty. She smelled the male wolves heading towards them and didn't take her eyes off the demon for a second. If those males were really as nice as the probably lying demon said so they would help.

"Get the f**k out of her you piece of s**t. I don't know if you can take on four weres but our existence is not as f**ked up as you thin. It's all weres responsibility to try and be a good person just like humans but a lot of the mess it up and it's a**holes like you that aren't helping very much by stirring up trouble!" Tala was pissed. She was so angry that she didn't even feel the rain on her. At this moment the beast was starting to come out. She was in harmony with the beast inside her and didn't mind its existence. They were one.

Rakel and Raven joined the females around the demon. The smell hit him strong as he also felt nature cry out as to the presence of this creature. "Demon spawn you have chosen the wrong place to appear. May you feel the sting of my blade, Phoebe." Rakel spoke as the faced the demon. If it came to it he would fight, for it was his duty as Alpha to stand against those who threaten any were.

Be careful of your actions. I sense more than one presence within him.It is strange. Not likeour bond but more like a puppet and master. Brother wolf told Rakel. As they stood there Rakel and Brother wolf opened up fully, allowing Rakel to become totally in control of both sides at once. This demon atands no chance against four full weres.

Ceberus bursted out in laughter, pure laughter. The rage, the chaos, the entropy, it was like music to him. He could feel the sound waves hit him like a cacophony of musical chelos and Violin, playing to make a sound as distorted as the rain falling onto their heads. He absolutely loved them all. Taking his blade, he swung it with the grace and perfection his long life had gifted him with. The blade sang through the air as it moved with lightining speeds. He wasn't trying to impose fear, simply letting them know that he was superior with a blade than they could hope.

"Oh, don't be such a bore. I care not for your bloody insults or any sort of beast the four of you could create out of your combination. I am simply following my destiny. Now that all four of you are hear, the pack must be set. You all are kin, of the same pack. And you all make quite a unique pack. First off, I am aware that no pack has ever had two alphas, next is that one particular were among you was not a human. He was something else, and his fate places his value to this world's future far above your own. If you are true and disgustingly virtuous weres, you will defend him as I try to kill him. Oh, and don't bother trying to kill me. You do not have near the strength yet to perform such a task," Ceberus explained. He looked at Raven and swung his blade into a ready stance and charged at him. He aimed his blade directly at Raven's heart...

(Note: Remember - not all weres are adverse to demons. As a matter of fact, they tend to have a closer kinship with the demons than they do with the humans! This refers back to the virus from the timeline.)

Anya didn't even notice the others appearing from the forest, feeling the demon's words echo meaninglessly. As if I give a d---! I call on you this once, Monster, she snarled, every hair on her body charged with energy, We will rip him to shreds!

A roar of rage ripped from her throat as she leaped towards him, only bits of her Changing as she came. In an instant, she had gruesomely long claws, a single wolf's eye and a muzzle full of teeth, but it was only a half-Change; her body was still too weak to support a full one. The were snapped her teeth closed on where the demon's arm would be, her claws grasping for what should be his flesh, and slashed nothing. What?!

Ceberus stopped and chuckled at the half-changing were. "What's the matter, can you not bite me? Or am I simply an illusion? Come at me! My blade thirsts for the alpha's neck!" Ceberus taunted. He was entertained now that a fight was occuring. He raised his blade, now that he was closer to Raven and was prepared to swing. He waited for one of them to move, then he would make his own move.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Spica screamed, appearing from seemingly nowhere. "You half-brained, half-witted, dog-eared idiot's snot rag! Heel!"

Glowering furiously, Spica grabbed Ceberus's ear even as he swung his sword at a random were. She twisted it viciously and popped back, dragging the Deluder along.

Ceberus obeyed his masters orders, like a horse going to the meat butchers house. He felt the weight of the binding fall on him like a tidal wave.

"As you command, master," Ceberus said mindlessly. It was as if all sense in him was eradicated and he became a mindless robot. He wondered at this curious phenomina, but was not worried at what happens to him. Things were now set in motion that no one would be able to stop. Inwardly, Ceberus smiled like a child with a shiny new toy.

Tala was ready to change when an orange haired demon came out of no where and snatched the other demon away in a poof. They were both gone. She stood shocked at what had just happened. She turned to look at Anya in disbelief and said "Holy crap. Did that just happen?"

The rain had already started soaking through her clothing. No use getting her umbrella out. She was still aware of the two males standing. near them. "What about being in a pack?" She had so many questions for what had just transpired.

Raven, if he wasn't so stunned from shock, would have turned into a wolf and tore down the forrest looking for that specific demon. He cursed the demon with every once of being in his body. But what made it worse was that he place the females in an even greater danger. His rage was swelling in him like a balloon.

"I have dwelt with his vermin before... That filth is nothing more than a plague upon this earth," Raven said to Rakel. He sat down and felt a little more lax now that the demon left. He was very curious at what he had said.

"I honestly do not know what he means, but I suppose we're meant to be in a pack? I would not be bothered by either choice. But I must ask, why is it you hate Rakel and I so? I meant you no harm and still mean you no harm. Hell, I don't even want to be an alpha, but fate has made it so I guess."

Anya's face and hands shrunk down to their original features, though the expression of disgust on her face remained unchanged. The heavy pit-a-pat of the raindrops was the only sound that the were could hear, other than the quiet murmurs of the other weres, and the annoying soft thud as the drops planted themselves in her hair.

Where did that demon go?! She simply ignored the others, looking around suspiciously as they conversed. Quite frankly, she didn't give a fig for what the demon had said and assumed that that was what the others were talking about. It was only when Raven suggested that they be in a pack together that Anya took notice, and she was furious.

"I have lived my entire life free from creatures like you, and gladly so," she fumed, her ire rising again, "Yet you monsters ask me to join in some sort of demonic brotherhood with you? Give me a single good reason," she snarled, "A single reason that I might want to think about joining with you."

She glared at all three of them, her yellow eyes flashing wrathfully before continuing. "Why do I hate you? Do you have to ask? What human being would not hate an abomination?!"

The cool rain that trickled down her back and collected in the hood of her raincoat bothered her, but it was only a secondary annoyance to the buzzing that filled her brain. What are you going to do? preened the Wolf, You see now that you're powerless without me. Do you really hate me so much?

Rakel looked to where the demon should have been. The forest told of his leaving and that calmed the wolf inside. "So he spoke of a pack. It's been a long time since I was in one. What say each of you?" Rakel's own mind was drifting. The world is really at war, isn't it? he thought.

As the rain kept falling, all he could think about were that demon's words. How had he known so much and where did he learn it? Now he longed even more to return home and to revisit the elves.

"As for your worries sister. you are one of us like it or not. and if what he said is true we are all safer in one pack instead of four loan weres." rakel hoped she would listen for he wanted them all around a little longer.

"What in the name of Mother Gaia are you people thinking?!" Anya snarled, "I understand that as some people say, 'birds of a feather flock together,' but you are all eager to follow a demon's advice? If you actually feel that way, I have six simple words for you: F--- off and go to H---."

Anya stormed off, pulling the hood of her raincoat up and dousing herself with the pooled drops. I knew they were no better than the demons, Anya snarled inwardly as the Wolf looked on and laughed, Why else would they consent to having a demon tell them how to run their lives? She bit off the stream of curses that filled her mind and reentered the forest's embrace. At least when I'm here I don't have to deal with such... creatures. I only have my own, and she's generally muzzled.

The rain was much less frequent here, under the trees, but fat drops rolled down branches and needles to hit the ground below. It was times like these that Anya could truly feel the heart of the forest, listening to the soft rustle-thud as the drops found their way through the needles, and the luscious, fresh scent of pine that enveloped her senses. She was still enraged, though, and instead of taking a moment to enjoy the sights and smells of nature, Anya simply stormed on. I'm getting away from here, she decided, despairing, I can't keep living on the humans' edges, especially not if I'm going to end up like them.