She paused, thinking about that for a moment. Then she laughed so hard she almost toppled over. "Come to think of it, I have no idea what anyone else is. I didn't think to ask. I never was comfortable with the question myself-" Ziva bit down on her lips, hard. And there I go again. Why am I so comfortable telling everyone here about my life story? It just feels... Good. But is it my place to go ranting about my life? "-because of certain issues back home. I won't bore you with the details... Unless you want to know or something. I don't want to be annoying."

Originally Posted by AlexandriaBrandt

He grinned and settled into her lap and closed his eyes, intent on taking a small nap before anything else decided to attack their group.

Cleo let out a soft giggle as she watched Mercutio sleep. She stroked his hair, not paying attention to the fact that he was in his human form. She really couldn't help but pet him. He really was a cute guy.

He listened to her thoughtfully. He understood what she was saying since she wasn’t the first person she’d met who wasn’t comfortable with his question. “I don’t mind listening if you want to talk about it. You don’t need to share anything you don’t want to.” He gazed at her curiously, but had a small smile on his lips. Normally he wouldn’t care about such things and would only pretend to listen, but with her it was different. He wanted to get to know her.

Mercutio made a small growling noise in his sleep and his leg twitched as he rolled onto his side and nuzzled into her stomach in his sleep.

"Thanks." Ziva took a deep breath, her eyes drifting shut as she leaned her head back, "On Anheim, the world I came from, if you're anything more than human, you're hunted and used. Mostly it's the military that does that. Once they set their sights on you, it isn't a question of if they'll catch you, it's when. They came after Taemin and I before we came here. Most likely it's because we heal almost instantaneously. We just survive." She opened her eyes again, looking back at Alemi, "Tae's just a friend. Well, okay, we're like brother and sister really, but we're not related. His family took me in when mine was killed." Ziva took a breath, calming herself before there was a risk of tears, "Thanks for letting me talk like that. This's been sitting on my chest for a long time. It's nice to have the weight lifted."

Mari stepped through the trees carefully and soon found the source of the feeling. Five ghost wolves were standing in a circle, just looking at each other. Before Mari could cast a spell, however, bones and flesh formed over the ghostly bodies from the ground beneath them. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen as she could no sense the presence of a necromancer or dark magic, it just....happened it seemed. It was as if the planet itself had given life to them...

She did not have time to sit in wonder, however, as they turned on her. She raised her hand above her head and shouted the ancient words she'd been born knowing as she gripped what should have just been air. A ball of shadow appeared just as she did so however, and a strange wind whipped her hair around her form. She then crushed the shadow in her hand and a solid shield of shadow appeared around her so the wolves bounced off of it like so many thrown darts. As they fell she let it dissipate.

She summoned a sword of shadows in one hand and drew it across her own palm so her blood would mix with the blade. She could make them hers with her blood then lay them to rest. As if sensing two began to run while the other three attacked her. She could track them down she thought absently and did a rolling leap forward to avoid the three pouncing dead wolves before twisting and slashing the nearest one across the side so two of it's legs were disabled. As she leaped back from the wolves attempt to turn it's head back and snap at her she only then realized what direction they were going... Right towards camp! With an inward curse she ran towards the camp, the two untouched wolves right behind her. The third would lay its head down, her magic and what ever had animated it struggling with each other to paralyze it.

"Head's up!" She yelled as she burst through the foliage after the two fleeing wolves that were heading right towards Tae at the moment. She leapt into the air to land in between them and Tae, growling like a cat. The two paused and growled while the two she hadn't hurt burst from the foliage after her. It would seem even the balance between life and death on Easter had been broken...

"Mari!!" He was stunned for a split second. Wolves. Real wolves that appeared to be living. He turned his head over his shoulder. "GUYS! WE'VE GOT COMPANY!!"

He drew his ax, standing beside Mari. Questions would come later, surviving would have to take precedence.

Cleo smiled at Mercutio then let out a happy sigh. She glanced around the area, looking for any disturbances made from eggs. Whats he heard wasn't from eggs, though. She heard Mari and he wolves she was fighting. Cleo's eyes widened as she turned her head around, looking at Mari. She looked down at Mercutio and carefully took his head and sat it on the sleeping bag. Cleo jumped up and then starting to run towards Mari. While running Cleo extended her hand, another sword like rock shot out of the ground and flew right into her hands. Cleo Skid to a halt right behind Mari. "Where'd they come from?!", she said holding her sword up, ready to attack the little bastards.

"There undead... If I can slash one and be left alone by the others for a few moments I can return them to the earth. Somethings wrong with the balance between life and death on Easter..." She replied grimly to both of the two before she leaped forward and smashed the blade of shadow through the head of one charging them. The beast was knocked back from the force of the blow as her leaping style but the power of her rabbit empowered legs behind each and every strike.

As it stood, however, it's undead nature would be clear. It's skull was shattered and the muscle, tissue, and skin sliced free. It's ear and eye on that side dangled from the jaw, the bone glittering in the sun as crimson blood dripped from the flesh. It growled as it shook it's head as if to clear it, the loose pieces flapping audibly from the motion. She evaded another of the four wolves trying to charge her and pointed her blade towards the wounded wolf. She began to chant and focus her magic, hoping the wolves would be distracted by all the living around them momentarily and she could complete the sealing.

Mercutio opened his eyes when he felt Cleo's presence leave the area, he heard a commotion and quickly changed into his arctic wolf form, running at top speed to where the noise was coming from. 'I'm coming to help Cleo, what are we up against?' He asked as he sprinted.

Cleo's eyes widened when she heard Mercutio's voice. She turned her head, seeing him run towards her. "We fighting undead wolves! Mari said she need kill them and send them to earth! Be careful!", she called out before looking back at Mari. Cleo jumped back as Mari started to fight the wolves. She wasn't sure what to do, so she decided she'd use her powers to help fend off the wolves. She held her hand up, a large rock shot up from the ground. She waved her hand at one of the wolves, hitting it on it on it's side.

In some ways he felt he could relate since he had been hunted before. Watching the way she acted it was easy to see this was hard for her to talk about especially about her family. “It’s not a problem sweety,” he paused a moment when he realized what he said. Did I really mean to call her that? What am I doing? He shifted a little awkwardly before continuing. “Such things can be very hard to deal with and make it hard to survive. I’m glad you’re feeling better about it. It must be hard not really being able to talk about it.”

Mercutio snarled and flew through the bushes, latching his teeth into the neck of the first enemy that he saw as he flipped onto his back and took the wolf down with him brutally.

Fiaria wrinkled her nose at the stench of death was in the air. Wandering a bit further she heard some of the others from the group talking, saying something about undead wolves. Could something like that really be caused by the eggs? No time to really think about that though if they are attacking again. Running towards the people she heard talking she shifted into her tiger form. When she reached them she paused to observe.

The sight was a grim one, and Tae fought back the urge to retch. He swung at the wolves, carefully avoiding Mercutio, and nearly decapitating one of the undead creatures. If he'd heard right, all he needed to do was distract them. He kept swinging, trying to remind himself that in Anheim, he'd seen worse- mangled bodies and such, but never reanimated, and it disturbed him, but he pushed forward.

Cleo's wolf was knocked to the side, the ribs cracking audibly. The sickening nose filled the air and the wolf rolled over itself, only to stand. It's ribs now stuck out of it's side slightly but it's limbs were unhindered. The undead were not easily moved by pain so the wolf simply pushed to its feet. With a deep growl it leaped at her, it's fury and hunger unending as was the nature of such zombies.

Mercutio's wolf seemed to yowl in fury as the flip made it fall end over end a moment. It struggled to get free, its neck broken so it's muzzle faced the sky even as it's claws ripped at Mercutio's flesh desperately. Destroy... take life... watch the balance of life and death crumble at its feet. These were the only thoughts the undead creature was capable of now... even as its own flesh rotted on its bones.

Tae's wolf lost it's head... literally and the wolf's muzzle snapped uselessly at the ground next to it. The body, meanwhile fell briefly to the side... but then stood! Moved by magic now instead of electric impulses from the brain it charged at him even as blood caked its neck and dried in the fading sunlight. It would try to claw at his body, it's claws just as sharp as they had been in life if not more so.

Mari meanwhile focused only on returning the wolf she fought now and the one she'd slashed earlier to death. Her voice rang through the air, seeming to echo supernaturally. It sounded as if many were speaking as she sung the song of death and peace to call the wolves souls. Silvery light seemed to wrap around the bodies and the earth seemed to open beneath the two wolves. Skeletal hands, the hands of death, reached to grab the struggling forms by their limbs. They pulled it into the soil forcibly, the wolves only able to howl in an attempt at resistance. Even as the sound faded, however, the magic filling them with their unnatural life faded and their bodies began to decay to the point they had been before. They were soon merely dust and the soil closed over them once more. The grass that had been over the spots seemed to fill in too, the land looking untouched and perfect as it had been before...

Fiaria watched in amazement at the undead wolves turned to dust before her eyes. Her head was tilted to one side as she watched. Looks like I came too late and this wasn’t caused by the eggs. Cautiously she stepped out from the tall grass so the others would see her. Her body wasn’t totally relaxed since she was unsure if these people would realize she was form the group. Of course the only way one of them would realize she was the Katayan from earlier would be if they had noticed the tear drop shaped spot on her chest.

((technically three, the three attacking Mercutio and Tae and and cleo, are still alive since her blade hasn't touched them... well as alive as undead can be xD))

((Oops, I must have misread. I'll edit my post.))

((Nah i just wasn't clear ^.^ and two wolves did turn to dust XD))

((Alright))

Tae tried to keep his breathing even as he saw the wolf he'd been fighting's head snap on the ground while its body stood free. He had the urge to cry out for Ziva, but didn't want her to get involved. He'd barely been of help the last time anything attacked, and Ziva had been injured and on top of all that, she'd used her healing powers. He knew that she kept going no matter what, but the girl needed her rest, and Tae wasn't about to risk her life more than he needed to. He threw his ax at the wolf, effectively chopping off one of its legs. He flew along to retrieve his ax when it scratched his leg. He winced, but any trace of the damage done had since disappeared. He shuddered as he saw more of the wolf's innards where its head was supposed to be than he particularly wanted to see when it faltered, and he flew up and looped around. It flailed on the ground, and Taemin took a deep breath, waiting a minute to see if what remained of the wolf would somehow regain its footing.

Cleo continued to pelt the wolves with decent sized chunks of rocks. She started panting from exhaustion, still tired from earlier's battle. When one of the wolves tried to tackle her, Cleo quickly raised her hand into the air, causing a big sheet of rock to shoot out of the ground. It shielded her from the attack, but made Cleo even more tired. She thrusted her hand upward, using the rock to squash the wolf. She didn't dare try to remove the rock. She had already seen plenty of chunks and pieces of wolves, she didn't need to see one pancaked into the ground.

Noctis opened his eyes again when Eliza spoke and shrugged slightly. "I've never taken care of a child before. I suppose it depends on how tired she was when she fell asleep?" he replied slowly, questioningly. He was slightly aware of Cleo looking at the two of them but he paid her no mind as she posed no threat.

...
...

Had his life really used to be made up of whether or not people posed a threat to him? Noctis blinked as his mind reeled at the sudden revelation. All his life had been about fighting to get to the top, to prove himself, or rather, in his personal case, to fight only enough to survive and hide low otherwise. He hadn't wanted to be at the top, fine with just getting by and wanting to be left alone. It was the others that had always been searching him out to fight. apparently he had been one of the last obstacles they needed to get through before getting a chance to fight with the top. His life had really just been one fight after another, hadn't it? Funny how it took him getting thrown into a world run by rabbits to realize that.

Noctis was broken from his sudden thoughts when Cleo got up from where she had been talking with a boy and ran off towards... was that the sound of fighting? Noctis tensed up and listened to the sounds, a strange energy was in the air and it didn't feel nice at all. He leaned forward a bit to gain enough room to move his arm and quickly moved Eliza over a bit so that he could stand. He stooped and fluidly scooped Furi from Eliza's lap and pulled the girl to her feet in the same motion, setting the the still sleeping toddler against his hip. His eyes darted in the direction of the fighting. He didn't want to take any part in the fighting... but he was curious as to what was giving off that familiar energy. He looked at Eliza again and then to the girl resting against his side. "I'm just going to see what's happening." he said, his tone distracted. "I'm sorry, but can i ask you to watch over her for a moment longer?" he passed Furi back to Eliza and stretched his wings out, taking to the air without waiting for an answer. He felt a tinge of guilt for that but fell back into his usual mindset as he neared the fighting.

the sounds of a familiar song reached his ears and he froze midair, watching as skeletal hands reached up from a sudden opening in the earth to grab two of the wolves. Who would've thought there would be a necromancer here. Noctis wasn't a necromancer, not fully anyway, but he certainly was no rookie to the powers of the undead. His eyes darted towards the three other wolves that were left and watched as a winged male floored his wolf and as Cleo basically pancaked another wolf to the floor. The girl looked exhausted though she didn't put down the sheet of rock she had pulled up. Did it have something to do with the wolf she had been fighting? Noctis landed next to the pancaked wolf and stared at it with an empty gaze. Might as well get rid of it.

he crouched down next to where the head was supposed to be and gave a small frown. "I'm not as nice as that other necromancer. A song of death and peace... I can give you the song of death... but I assure you, I wish you no peace." he whispered as purple miasma appeared around him. He closed his eyes again and his mouth formed the words he had memorized many years ago. His voice was echoed by fainter, darker voices and instead of a silver light and skeletal hands, the miasma that surrounded Noctis engulfed the wolf, leaving nothing behind when it disappeared again except a burnt patch of dirt. Noctis frowned at the dirt before passing a hand over it and revealing small shoots of grass. He straightened up and knocked on the sheet of rock. "it's safe to look now." he informed Cleo before turning to see what had been done to the other two wolves.

Alemi wondered if maybe he had said something wrong. Figuring he probably did he moved away from Ziva, taking a seat on the ground at the next tree. He grinned to himself. Looks like one of my old habits is showing, but it felt so natural and right to call her sweety. Unlike the times I used it while flirting back home. He shook his head slightly as he sat there thinking. A few moments passed before he looked over at the girl. “I’m sorry if I said something wrong. I didn’t meant to be rude.”

-------



Fiaria watched the others fight the remaining wolves. She paced slightly, feeling out of place here as well. Why did she have to feel so awkward? Looking towards the camp then back towards the deep forest she wondered where she should go. If she didn’t return soon that white puff ball, Meri, would be coming to look for her out of worry and would probably be drilling her again. She told herself again that most of these people wouldn’t understand her position and why she had reacted like she did in that purple smoke. While she was here, her least worry was suppose to get her home on Iruna.