Seasons don't fear the reaper

@Caligula fast-tracking it a day or two just to make sense of Ven's timeline LOL

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Spring had come and all the little critters were popping their own crotch goblins they baked over the past few weeks or months. Vengeance had once again wandered away from the Elk's woods and travelled North this time to investigate the misty woods he had walked by earlier on his way down South.

Next to it as he followed the mist that stretched out from the darkened woods was a field perpetually crawling in a haze. Twilight had just broken as the sun cast its final phase over the rolling hills and still the mist clung to the ground with no signs of leaving just yet. So far, the mist seemed to be calling for the Warlord to make it his home... it seemed perfect for them to hide in, a natural barrier from prying eyes and a vantage against trespassers.

He couldn't linger here for long, not without abandoning Celnes to guarding her empty halls alone... though it wouldn't be a total loss should Elkshire remain empty - and yet, he still clung to the idea that they would some day be a powerful ally. Celnes had a good head on her shoulders and should she be as strong as Hydra as he sees her to be, then it was in his best interest to remain loyal to their budding alliance. For now, he would investigate the grasses of the rolling, misty, hills and decide if this would be a good hunting ground for the pack he hoped would soon be his.

+2 Discovery Points

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Caligula remembered only blood.  There had been a battle in the pouring rain, wolves slipping and sliding in the muck below.  There had been terror in the eyes of many, but Caligula had only surrounded himself with the most steely of soldiers.  They had moved swiftly through the field, sneaking up behind their weakened opponents.  He recalled a blurry figure rushing towards him in his peripheral.. and then things simply went black.

There was evidence of his battle scattered among his pelt.  Coagulated blood clung to him from wounds that had long since healed, strangely, and he noticed tufts of fur that were not his own.  How he had ended up in this ghastly place completely healed he would never know, but the beast knew he hadn't a moment to spare.  Wherever he was, however he'd gotten there -- it didn't matter.  The only thing that mattered was thriving, rebuilding.  He would work his paws to the bone to establish what he had lost.

The mist was a welcomed companion.  Light as he was, Cal blended in seamlessly with the wispy air as it danced around him.  Perfect camouflage should he have needed it, but there was no reason to believe enemies were laying in wait.  He moved slowly, cautiously, only pausing when he caught the scent of another.  Male.  

"Salve," he called, tattered ears swinging atop his head to pinpoint the others location. Assuming, of course, the other wolf was even real to begin with.  Would've been a bit awkward otherwise

+1 Discovery Points

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Not having grown accustomed to the mist just yet snuffing out his senses, dulling certain smells, and heightening others, he was unaware of the other man lurking within the haze. The word echoed in the mist, twisting his own ears to try and pinpoint where it had come from.. it sounded masculine, and they were close.

Focussing on his nose, he sniffed the air carefully this time, working his way through the scents that lingered in the moist air around them. There was indeed a male somewhere in the mist, and Vengeance began to wander toward where he believed the sound had originated. The word was unfamiliar, their tone... undecipherable.

It took a moment before the pale figure could be picked out from the white smog around them, nearly blending in perfectly with their surroundings Vengeance had to almost squint to confirm the figure of a wolf. They rivaled him in height, it was almost looking into a pale reflection of himself - unable to pick out the war wounds on the other just yet as the warlord paused, choosing not to get too close for now.

He remained silent... waiting to see if he was calling out for someone else and if they were to appear.

+1 Discovery Points

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It didn't take too long to locate the shadowed figure in a playground of white.  The phantom remained silent, simply staring from across the field as Caligula's single eye narrowed on the gargantuan form.  How interesting, he thought, to have found the devil himself so soon into his travels.  It wouldn't surprise him in the least to learn this place was hell, particularly with the way his wounds were healed but the blood still clung to his fur.  An eternal reminder of the lives he had taken, perhaps?  Was he made to suffer through eternity coated in the blood of innocents?

It didn't sound too terrible, if you asked him.  The innocents were only innocent because he had prevented them from growing older, morphing into the demented beasts like himself.  Caligula had saved those puppies by slaughtering them, whether their screaming mother knew it or not.  Perhaps it was their blood he was supposed to feel apologetic for, but he didn't.. and the mother had made a good fuck before he'd killed her as well.  He could feel her beneath him even now, and a delighted shudder ran down his spine.

The ghost stepped towards his Virgil, every sense trained on the man.  "Do you speak?" he inquired, coming to a halt several yards away.  How dull life would be if his guide to the underworld didn't speak with him.
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In their moment of silence he continues to pick out the individual scent lingering in the mist as it swirled and billowed around both titans. The faint odor, unmistakable, of blood beginning to touch his senses. If he wasn't mistaken, it was emanating from this man as the mist carried its acrid scent away from them, and into the earthly goliath's senses. The scent was not strong enough to be fresh... no bleeding wounds were obvious either at the quick glance over, only imperfections in the other's skin that he only shrugged off as the mist playing tricks on his eyes.

The shape speaks, and it speaks to him, not to some other wandering in the mist. Vengeance focuses on what would be their face. “Yes.” The word drawn out in a near hiss, lacking the same bite like a viper's and yet still slithering with the same dangerous undertones.

Making no attempts to move forward, he simply studied the man. He and Eldra were both of similar sizes, but their immediate impressions couldn't be any more different. Still, there was a certain type of air between them... this guy was dangerous as well, there were two monsters within the mist and it simply took one to know exactly what he was looking at.

It was exciting. What would this one do? What did they want calling out into the mist the way they did? “Who do you call out to?” He had to know

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Ah, splendid, Virgil spoke.  He wondered why the creature had leered at him from afar instead of embracing his duties to lead the little Dante around hell, but no matter.  It was now clear the man could speak and had at least somewhat of an understanding about the current situation.  Well, hopefully.  Caligula was simply wishing at that point.

His eye watched the darker wolf with the intensity of what he was: a soldier, a murderer, a monster.  Strangely enough, Caligula thought he may have seen something similar behind the shadow's eyes as well.  Had he found a new monster to play with?  Oh, how delightful of a discovery!  

"To you, it seems.  I see no others around unless my senses have dulled." It wasn't spoken with anything other than a bland intrigue, really.  Caligula was curious to know whether or not there were others around and if not, what this man could do for him.  "Do you know the name of this place? I cannot remember how I came to be here." He frowned, bothered by it.
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So they were speaking to him after all. “One can't be too sure.” He drawls carelessly, tossing the words dull words away. Neither of them moved for a while, letting the birds slowly fade away as they slumbered with the setting of the sun, leaving nothing but the chattering of distant gophers whistling. Both behemoths standing and watching the other at a distance - that was about to change. Now certain the man was addressing the brown beast, he moved forward. Hoping to take a better look at this other savage who found themselves within the mist.

“No.” Simple. Quick. A man who was always straight to the point unless he was amused by something. “I will name it in time.” Considering this would be an extension of the land he wished to claim... this too, would be his in a way. “None of us do.” Know how they got here... it was almost forgotten to him if he was honest... it had happened long enough ago, and so much has happened since that this had simply become his new life.

“I suggest you move on and start a new life here as we all have.” He steps forward again, brushing past the mist moistened grasses, dead and decaying since last year's season. Eyes focussing on the figure, this time, details slowly emerged. A mirror it was not, at least not in Vengeance's current state. The other was missing bits and pieces of themselves, thoroughly rung through hell and back. Intriguing.

+1 Discovery Points

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Caligula's attention shifted from the monster to the area beyond, sweeping the misty scene with a critical eye.  How fascinating it was for such a turn of events to transpire, if they even were.  For all he knew, this was nothing but a fever dream brought on by an infected wound sustained in battle.  Perhaps it was purgatory, the cruel place of complete indifference, and this man was waiting to judge him based on their interactions.  Caligula knew himself to be damned, so he certainly hoped the other got on with it.  He had things to do -- possibly.  

"There are others," he murmured, wondering if any of them held the key to solving the great mystery.  Was it even worth attempting to figure it out?  According to the heathen before him, no.  It was only beneficial if he moved on, began anew.. but how did one with such a particular skill set find a new life? Caligula's frown deepened at the idea.  "I know little outside of bloodshed and war.  Point me in the direction of someone who knows the same." A bit of a test, he supposed, to see whether or not his senses had been correct about the wolf. 

Caligula watched as the man drew nearer and took it upon himself to fill in the rest of the space.  No need to yell, hm?  He admired the shadow immediately, felt a surge of lust he had not anticipated.  Hm, what a strange turn indeed.
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There was no need for more words addressing the others who would their way here as well. This man would eventually find them himself as more and more individuals seemed to be popping up nearly every day. Some even out of nowhere from his experience with the boy who appeared directly behind him with neither of them having any recollection of seeing one another previously.

The scarred man's request had immediately sent the monster of a man into a titter, chuckling as if his words were beyond humorous. Oh, once his deep laughter settled over the echoing lands perhaps he would find the question just as humourous as Vengeance did in this moment - for now, he laughed alone. Thick clumps of muscle, fat, and skin shaking with every giggle that rocked his body to its core.

With a hum he settled, letting the silence creep in once again before parting darkened lips to share what he thought was so humorous. “You are looking at him.”

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Supposedly, laughter was contagious.  One started laughing and before anyone realized it, the whole village was in a bout of hysteria for no discernable reason.  However, when the man before him began laughing uncontrollably in what could only be the most unholy noise he'd ever heard, Caligula didn't join in.  Maybe he was vaccinated against the giggling plague or perhaps he simply didn't understand what was so funny, but Cal's face remained blank.  Wonderful, he thought sarcastically, how he had managed to find the Joker seconds after waking.  What a lucky lad he was.

When the punchline was finally revealed, Caligula allowed his scarred lips to twist into some attempt at an amused grin -- although to be honest, he was doing nothing more than mirroring Vengeance.  "Do you have need of me?" the wolf asked rather passively, almost as though he were waiting to be dismissed.  If not, he would simply move on and find somewhere else to settle.  No biggie.
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It seemed another pale one, one that Celnes would detest was about to join the ranks under the soon-to-be-Warlord. It seems he was gathering a sort of "types" here, which amused him even further but not quite into the malicious giggle fit he had earlier. Eventually, the pale warrior found some of the humor that Vengeance saw, at least enough so to contort his wickedly scarred face into what almost looked like a grin.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” That was rather simple. The two men seemed simple-minded to a certain point, needing no games or further conversation to complicate the matter. The man needed a purpose, and Vengeance, well, he needed soldiers. “Tell me, who am I hiring?” Not one for simple pleasantries, the future ruler went right down to business in getting to know what kind of man this guy was other than well the "bloodshed and war" he had mentioned earlier.

With a certain level of agreement between them, the wretched man approached again with the desire to familiarize himself with the soldier standing before him. Study his wounds, his musculature - he liked what he saw thus far, and what he heard. It was types like these he enjoyed the most.

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[size=small]Caligula's gaze narrowed on the man as his.. episode came to a natural conclusion.  Wonderful.  The phantom was not one for giggling, but he supposed if he were about to sell his soul to the beast before him it would do some good to pretend.  If the lord wanted him to laugh at things, he would laugh.  Caligula thrived on discipline and having a structured lifestyle, so being blatantly told what to do settled well with him.  Thinking for himself was often bothersome, so he often allowed others to do it for him.  So far, it had worked.  Minus the eye, the ear and the body littered with scars, he had escaped unscathed.. well, alive. Alive counted more than anything.[/size]

[size=small]"My name is Caligula, a gene.. well, I suppose a former general of a militaristic pack.  I lead a squadron of wolves and oversaw the training of whelps." In addition, he'd also contributed some genetics to those pups as was expected of him.  The highest ranking bred the strongest women, produced the strongest soldiers -- it was only logic, wasn't it?  He hadn't complained once with his role in the scenario, even if occasionally he wondered which of the spawn were his.  The good ones, he told himself.  Only the good ones were his.[/size]

[size=small]He was unflinching in the approach of the other warmonger, though it did allow him a chance to study the dips and curves and scars a bit more carefully.  Interesting.  A big boi.  "How many do you lead?" Caligula's tongue ran along his yellowing teeth as he watched and waited, clearly intrigued.  What else could this man offer him?[/size]

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Caligula was his name... and with a title of which he used to hold in a past life, as they all had at some point to those who seemed to remember anything. “You'll fit in perfectly.” Grimly he purred the words, pleased with what he was hearing. With Eldra and the child, they needed more with backgrounds like this one to keep them all in check. Now it was a matter of him accepting his part as an early Nightwalker member... it wasn't like he had many other choices of packs to join. After all, by Vengeance's knowledge, there were none other who were already established.

“Not many at this time. One woman, one child, and one medic.” He didn't mention the last was forcefully taken under his wing against her will. They needed someone with medical knowledge after all, and so long as she feared for her life - he had faith in her abilities to work out just fine until they found a more permanent fix to that problem.

Pausing in his investigation, the soon-to-be leader was pleased with what he saw. Clearly, this man had no fear in getting his paws dirty, and has seen his fair share of wars and battles, evidence of which was painted across his pelt. The man fell silent, curious eyes watching the pale man's face for any signs of displeasure at such a small group should he refuse in hopes for something bigger elsewhere beyond Vengeance's knowledge.

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Well, a vote of confidence from his shiny new leader certainly didn't put a damper on his mood. It was bizarre how quickly he was able to align himself with a stranger, but at the end of the day, was only testament to how terribly powerless he was to make his own decisions. He craved purpose and he craved blood, and if highest bidder (or first man he saw) was able to provide him with both, he had no qualms in shacking up. "I hope so, my feelings are quite delicate." Caligula's scarred lips twisted into a smirk at the jest. Shiiit, he didn't care one bit whether or not he fit in and @Vengeance knew it. Still, thanks for the vote of confidence.

His tattered ear twitched as the lord relayed the numbers of his.. lackluster horde. Ah, well. "Just means there's space to build it as you see fit. Recruitment is not my strong suit, but I will certainly do what I can." It wasn't like people were throwing themselves at his feet for anything other than mercy; he wasn't a very approachable fellow. Caligula straightened up a bit, nodding. "May I know your name, now that I've sold you my soul?" And he was absolutely delighted about it.

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So the guy also had a mild sense of humor as well - despite the awkward laugh they shared earlier, he had his own jokes to toss around casually between them. With a toothy grin, the Warlord to be shared his jest quietly. Delicate, yes, that is what this guy looked to be.

“Do as you wish, however, I will not be accepting half-breeds.” It was the first time he mentioned his distaste of the mudbloods to any of his followers, eventually, they would all learn of his distaste for the non-wolf types. All in due time. This was the first to vocalize his desire to possibly recruit on Vengeance's behalf, and in order to not waste Caligula nor Vengeance's time with an immediate rejection - clarification was an order this time around.

“I go by Vengeance. Former Warlord of the Nightwalkers in my past life-” that much he remembered now. “I wish to reclaim that title. Our territory will be the misty woods beyond this field.” At least a place for his warriors to gather and await for him to arrive home officially - eventually once King Elk Forest was settled and so was his alliance with Celnes solidified.

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He listened as attentively as ever, noting the venom imbued title of half breeds with some indifference. It truly made no difference to him whether or not someone was pure wolf or not; if they could fight, they could fight. Caligula may have suggested castrating any hybrids that came along in order to utilize their fighting prowess but deprive them of passing on their genetics, but he refrained. No reason to seem like a sympathetic fool to the kind Vengeance liked the least. Instead, Caligula nodded to accept the terms.

"Warlord of the Nightwalkers," he repeated, tasting the name on his tongue with satisfaction. It was a name that instilled fear, he was certain, and Caligula couldn't help but be intrigued. "What are my orders then, Warlord?" the ghost asked, nearly crooning. The man was eager to get started on them, whatever they were.

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We can end this with your post if you'd like! We can always have a new, more up-to-date one whenever you want!

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Perhaps he would have been intrigued with Caligula's suggestion on the half-breeds, but apparently, that may be a conversation for another day. For now, they would familiarize themselves with one another and establish the pack as a first priority.

“I must return to our southern allies, so begin scouting our woods and prepare for my arrival.” To have some begin setting up borders, caches and all that fun stuff to settle down as a pack seemed like the best idea... Caligula wouldn't be welcomed in Celnes' woods with his coat colour - but that didn't mean he wouldn't be useful doing something as important as setting up their lands.

“Scout it out for me, and I will be arriving within a week.” Give or take a few days, he still had to talk with Celnes about their current alliance and how they should begin moving onto the next step in their pact.

Unless Caligula had something else to add, the goliath would make his way back to the greener woods where the female King was preparing her own claim... it seemed like the Warlord would need to move on to his own duties sooner rather than later.

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Well, at least his first duty wasn't terribly boring. Scouting wasn't necessarily his favorite, but it wasn't as though they were ready to wage war with their meager numbers. "As you wish," the specter replied with a dip of his head. With new purpose in store, Caligula turned to head the way his master bid him explore.

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