((Okay, first- anyone who doesn't want to be saved by Aris, is crazy. Second- you knooooww I can't keep the action and danger out of my posts. I'm just not capable of it, lol.))

That sound, the sound of teeth clashing together as the dog tried to sink them into Julia's flesh. It was the only thing she could focus on. Not letting those sharp daggers get her. If they did, if they brought blood, the entire pack would go mad. If she didn't die then and there, she'd die of blood loss or infection. She'd seen that herself.

If not for the backpack, holding the dog off and confusing it wouldn't have worked for so long. She'd be dead by now. That's why she carried the thing. She called it her lucky pack. She could have found a newer one by now, but she refused to throw this one away. It had saved her ass more than once, more than five times, maybe more than that. Would it save her now?

This had only been happening for a very short time, maybe a minute, when the animal suddenly went limp over her. She pushed the beast aside and she was being pulled to her feet. It was the man who couldn't speak, the one with the single wing. Her expression said she was grateful, not wary or scared, just grateful to be here and not there, on the floor, in a hundred bloody pieces.

There was no time for thanks, another of the vicious dogs was lunging at them. The winged man made quick work of it. There wasn't a need for him to tell her to stay close, nor was there a need to hold her near. He had the sword and he seemed capable of handling these dogs, and he'd already saved her, it was clear he wasn't planning on watching her die. So she was sticking to him like glue. Until the dogs were gone anyway.

She looked for the source of the shrieking screech of a sound that she had heard. The ripper was wielding that gun she'd been toting around. When she fired the weapon, the room seemed to flash a crimson color. The woman's eyes matched that color and she looked terrifying. So she wasn't human either. Jules had thought at first that she may have been. But clearly she wasn't. She should have known. There were so few humans still alive or free. Jules herself hadn't seen another in many months.

Her winged savior was towing her towards the female with the gun. She didn't protest. She'd made it out of that first situation without a scratch. She'd always been incredibly lucky like that. It didn't seem these creatures wanted to see her die, and even the ripper had seemed hospitable. She clutched the lucky pack to her chest. "Could we make it up the stairs? There's only one way up to the second level, right? We could block it off and get out through a window," she suggested to them.

There was an awning around most of the building that shielded the first level from rain and sun. They could climb out onto it. The dogs were inside the building, they wouldn't know.

Jaylee had nodded, accepting that the killings had indeed been justified. Slavers. Found in all sorts of cultures and of multiple flavors. They were the ones that deserved death. Sipping at the amber liquid slowly, letting the burn warm her to the core, she appreciated the flavor. It almost reminded her of a good scotch. Maybe it was. Not that she cared really, right now it was something to do to occupy her.

Looking over as the sound of glass broke registered to her distracted mind, she cursed loudly. She really didn't want to leave behind her baby, but it was letting the others, especially the human, get hurt, or keep a replaceable object safe. Decision made, the shifter forewent changing, instead taking up her twin blades in each hand. She probably would have been better off shifting, but there really wasn't enough room. As a shifter, she was a brawler, or at times a berserker, by nature, but staying in human shape let her think more clearly, taking less risks and less damage most times. Slicing another animal, she stumbled a bit as something collided into her back, knocking her forward. Turning it into a roll, she came back up on her knees, one blade already buried deep in the canine's chest.

Hearing the human talk about getting to the second level, she did have to agree that it was a logical choice. Albeit the redhead could still see some danger in it. This was an abnormally large pack, she could hear and smell the numbers. Even if they made it to second level and got outside, how could they get away from the animals? They'd still be trapped. Well maybe. The winged one could probably still fly off, but what about the human? Shaking her head, she gasped in pain as she felt one of the mutts land a bite on her thigh. Oh that was going to hurt for a while. Stabbing into its head, she was satisfied to hear the skull crunch under the power of her thrust, tossing the newly dead creature into another leaping one. Panting harshly as she stood with her back to the bar, she felt the corner of her lip twitch as she saw the damage the gunslinger was doing, but then her lips were pulled back as her vocal cords shifted, allowing her to produce a very menacing canine growl that some of the attacking dogs listened to. Others, of the more alpha variety, as well as strongly independent, paused in their assault but were growling back and puffing themselves up as much as they could to appear more of a threat.

"Human, if you think this'll work, go upstairs and get it done. I'll try to hold them as much as I can." She ordered, her voice still having the growling tinge to as she stared down the other canines. Her entire posture and even the growling screamed to all that she was Alpha, she was in control, and she was to be obeyed! Jaylee hoped she could give them enough time to get upstairs and set up however it was needed, then she'd follow them after a few minutes, cutting down some more of the animals that decided to charge her.

((Yep, You like yer danger and action. I hope that was good enough for ya Kya. I really had trouble thinking it up. I don't do a lot of action stuff. But I did want to make it believable, even if my charrie has to get a little hurt along the way. And Aris is way smexy, only the brain-dead would not accept him. But Kya's right, I'll try to set myself up so that I won't hurt the flow, and I'll do my best to catch up. Work, and this pregnancy, is so damn draining. -.- But I love my chibi.))

((Don't mind me, just randomly popping up in the middle of all the danger >.> ))



Kylee

Species: Werewolf (bitten, not born)

Gender: Female

Age: 26

Description: Kylee was a struggling human five years ago, living with a small group of others and trying to survive. Her settlement was raided by werewolves and she was the only one to - barely - survive. She struggles with the wolf inside her and stubbornly attempts to remain vegetarian - or, at least, avoid red meat.



Her head ached, a pounding throb behind her temples. It was as if her head was made up of just pain. Nostrils flared, taking in the scents surrounding her. Dog. Earth. The fog barely did anything to mute them, but one in particular was the cause of her migraine. The smell of blood gnawed at the back of her brain, clawing at her inner monster, sweetly singing to it. Her wolf gnashed its teeth, howling to be given the reigns, just for a bit, just so she could hunt and feast and tear flesh and - no.

No, she thought, not today, not today, the full moon isn't upon us yet, not today. But she could feel her canines lengthening, her nails growing long and sharp.

Kylee dug her claws into the skin of her arm, tensing against the split-second agony. Red began to run down her arm in a trembling stream. Slowly, slowly, her nails were once again stubs and her teeth dull and flat. Her wound stopped bleeding. She sighed.

The fog was a hinderance, and the more she moved forward the thicker the stench of blood and fear grew. The louder the sound of voices. She needed to pass through quickly, get somewhere with clean air - or, as clean as it could get. Her control was slipping while her wolf was growling to be let out -

Close by. She could hear shouting, the sounds of breaking glass, a struggle - growling. Wild dogs - a pack. A hunt.

She resisted, tried holding her breath, but it burst forth anyway.

She howled.

Dahlia moved around the bar, kicking any dogs who got too close away before splattering their skulls. She began to make her way toward the stairs, moving past the other redhead and eyeing their one-winged angel and the little lamb. The smile on her face grew wider as she stood at the foot of the steps, firing on the starved canines with little discrimination.

Her heart was pumping. Fast and strong, pumping Vitae and sanguine through the factory-line of her body and the sound filled her ears like war drums. The only draw from her revelry was the sharp pain of teeth in her ankle, her precious fluid leaking out and into the mouth of a dog that dared bite her and shake its head in a rabid frenzy.

It's head dissolved under the screech of her Steed, the red film it had left behind staining across her shoes. She'd have to find a clothing store. She really would. Limping now she trudged up the stairs, looking behind her to their angel and lamb once more. The wolf was staying behind, attempting to use sound against this rabid pack. As she reached the head of the stairs, her own precious life fluids leaking from her ankle, there was a howl. Sharp and poignant and very clear. Close. Hungry. A wolf. A big wolf from what she heard. She chuckled lowly before turning, Steed up and ready in case the hounds would follow after them.

((That took longer than necessary from me. And woo more people! Also if you feel we ever need a balance, since I'm noticing a severe like of males, I can totes double up. Do not be afraid to ask me. At all.))

((Amani, your post was fab! Welcome, Bee! Cupcake, feel FREE to add a male. I just made a request for one or two in the request forum!))

They were all fighting. Well everyone except Jules. Human as she was, she wouldn't even be alive right now if not for the single winged man. And the two of them might not be alive if not for the others. She'd never seen such a large and vicious pack of dogs in her life.

The ruby-eyed female had been bitten, she was growling. The sound was terrifying. Perhaps she, able to think better than those dogs, and able to shift between forms, was the more terrifying of the animals in the room. She was speaking to Jules, and she only nodded, even though the woman probably didn't see her doing it.

The ripper was already moving to the stairs, making a path for them to follow. Jules made it to the stairs, careful not to get obliterated by the weapon in the process as she ascended the stairs beyond the ripper. While her ears were only human ears, and with the sounds of the fighting dogs below, Jules didn't hear the sound of the wolf in the distance.

She pulled her lucky pack onto her shoulders when she reached the top of the stairs and moved straight down the hall and into the room who's door was standing open. She could see a window that would be easy to open and climb out of. When Jules entered the room, she gasped. The bodies of the slavers, she could only assume.

Jules tore her eyes away from the mess. Her heart was racing. They needed to get out of this building. She needed to get out of this building. She crossed the wooden floor to the window, bloodying the bottoms of her brown boots. She hit the locks and pulled up on the window. She'd never been so thankful for a breath of fresh air.

The fog was still there, but perhaps lighter? Jules couldn't really tell. It didn't really matter. She could see the outline of a building a short distance away. She couldn't tell from here, but it was a small strip-mall of sorts. Once they got inside they'd be able to move freely between stores through doors that connected them. They could find new clothes, even beds in a mattress store. Not that those things would help if the dogs broke into those windows, too.

Jules climbed out onto the awning quickly. She turned around to see who was behind her and to help them out the window if they needed help. She would wait there for the others. She owed them enough to help them out, and so much more.

((If need be, I could also add a male character - I was debating whether or not to make Kylee a guy anyway >.> And thanks for the warm welcome! :D))


Blood. Hunt - meat. Flesh.

Kylee was crouched on the ground, shifting slower than what should be normal for a 'wolf. Her face elongated into a partial muzzle, teeth already pointed and long. Saliva dripped from her snarling mouth onto her fuzzy forearms, covering the fur in globs of slime.

She didn't notice.

Fight. Food. Hunt.

Her nails were sharp and curved, fingers twitching as they began morphing into paws, the digits merging together. A tail, long and sleek steel grey already appeared, and her dark hair was lengthening. Piercing cracks sounding throughout the air, almost as if one were popping their knuckles. To Kylee this was excruciating - each snap was as if someone fired a gun point-blank next to her. They felt as if someone were ripping the bones from her body one-by-one, though she knew, deep in the back of her mind, that if she gave in fully it wouldn't be so painful.

She resisted.

So long. Need Hunt. Kill.

It didn't matter. Soon enough there was no longer a woman crouching on the asphalt but a wolf - one too large to be natural. It was cloaked in dark fur that seemed to change with the light, blending into the darkness like it was a shadow itself. For a moment there was absolute stillness - not even the hair on the nape of the animal's neck twitched.

Hunt. Flesh - no - Meat. No. Please.

A growl sounded from low in the beast's chest, black lips curling back to exposing glittering white incisors. The ears on the top of the head twitched minutely, pinpointing the exact location of the fighting. It shifted it's weight onto the hind legs.

No - please. Stop -

Hunt.

The 'wolf sprang forward in a great arc, muscles sliding over each other smoothly like a machine. When it landed barely a thud was made from the paws hitting the ground before it was off again, sprinting, straining to join in on the fight.

It appeared out of the mist like a spectre and, like fury incarnate, did it descend onto the pack. Upon one of the rabid dogs did the 'wolf concentrate it's first attack, teeth tearing into the weak skin around the neck and into the muscle, crunching into bone. Blood rushed like a river onto it's tongue, overflowing and spilling out of the sides of it's mouth. When the animal fell still it growled happily, ripping the flesh it held between it's teeth and swallowing quickly.

From wild dog to wild dog it sprang, leaving a trail of bleeding bodies in it's wake. There was an undeniable smile on it's lips.

Unbeknownst to anyone, a woman was screaming in the back of the beast's mind.

Aris had turned towards the stairs quickly, to quickly it seemed. His gentle grip on the human's wrist seemed to have slipped and she was getting away from him. For a moment he feared for her life, but one of the females seemed to have cleared a path towards the stairs. The human woman made it through just in time. Aris was following behind, cutting through any dogs that tried to get between him and the stairs. It didn't take long to make his way to the stairs and up them, halfway up he stopped. A howl. Not a regular wolf. Something bigger, more dangerous.

He grimaced and continued up the stairs. At the top he hesitated again, looking down at the shifter. The one trying to keep the dogs at bay by being an alpha. He couldn't call to her, to let her know that the others were up the stairs and now it was time for her to follow. Aris reached behind him and plucked a brown feather from his one wing, with careful aim he sent it flying through the air. It flew straight as an arrow, it flowed dangerously close, but harmlessly past the shifter's face. The feather came to a stop when it's tip struck and stuck deep in the skull of one of the dogs closest to the shifter. Perhaps she would take that as her signal.

A couple of dogs were coming up the stairs at him, and he cut them down easily with his sword. Still he hesitated there at the top of the landing, waiting for the shifter, and keeping whatever dogs he could from getting completely up the stairs.

Keeping the growling up, she nearly faltered as the brown feather flew past her nose and into the skull of a rabid animal. The howling of a bigger canine did register in her mind, causing her growling to heighten in volume as she slowly moved backwards. Nodding slightly as she reached level with the one-winged male, she placed on blade back in the holster, silver metal dripping blood down her pants leg. Reaching back with one hand, into a small pouch at her hip behind the blade holder, she pulled out a small orb. Chucking it to the far wall, where the most of the canines were congregated, she smiled in satisfaction at the small explosion that tore the mangy mutts to pieces.

Turning fast, she nearly tripped from the slick blood, but quickly righted herself and finishing the way up the stairs as if the bite on her thigh wasn't even there. Making it to the door where the others had entered, the shifter stowed her other short sword, the metal clinking against each other as her hips rocked when she walked. Reaching into her small pack again, the red head pulled out a small black scrunchie. Taking out the butterfly pin, Jaylee carefully put it away before taking the scrunchie and pulling her hair into a tight ponytail. Glancing outside the window, she offered a light smile to the human before looking beyond. "I take it we'll be trying for the strip mall over there?" She questioned lightly as she clambered out the window and looked behind her to see if the others were coming as well. "Ya know, when we get out of here, we so need to introduce ourselves. I hate being stuck calling you 'human' all the time."

There was an explosion from inside the Inn and Jules instinctively covered her head. After a few moments, the ruby-eyed female was climbing through the window and inquiring about the strip mall. Jules just nodded, white-blonde bangs sweeping over a baby blue eye as she looked over the ledge of the awning. She seemed to say little more than the silent winged man. Also, she didn't know it was a strip mall. The fog was too thick for her human eyes and all of their obvious superiority to humans made her uneasy.

There was a reason humans were on the verge of extinction, and each time she ran into people like this she was reminded why. She hated it. Now she stood at the edge of the awning, looking over. The drop wasn't too far, but she could still break an ankle or severely injure herself if she fell wrong. She wondered how much closer she would be to the ground if she sat, turned and slid off the roof dangled herself off of the awning, and then dropped.

The others could probably just float down or something. She did a mental eye-roll. Dangling off of a roof with an unknown amount of vicious dogs around seemed like an awful idea. She sighed. Maybe this wasn't the best idea, for her anyway, but at least they weren't inside that wretched smelling Inn anymore. Not that they could be, the place was going up in flames. Would that scare the remaining dogs away? More than likely, yes. More importantly, they needed to get off this awning before they were burned off of it.

Her ears hurt. Her eyes hurt. Every sense seemed to be screaming out to her in pain.

Ash. Dead hunt. Hurt.

The wild dogs were dead all around the 'wolf and the beast itself was blown backwards, roughly tumbling over the pavement. Loose pebbles and broken glass passed through the thick fur and embedded themselves into skin. Each breath brought agony. The beast laid on it's side, chest heaving, an obvious confusion to it.

Explosion. We need to leav- fire. Fire.

The rabid pack was burning - some of them still alive. The building where they were fighting was burst open and partially aflame. Smoke cut through the fog like a knife, black and heavy with a cloying scent.

Muscles locked up in fear. The thrill of the hunt was gone, replaced by a primal terror.

Some of the dogs were struggling to their feet, stumbling as they backed away from the flames. A couple nosed at their dead packmates. A few were heading in the 'wolfs direction.

The beast sluggishly pulled it's feet under it, laying flat on the ground. The broken glass and pieces of stone shifted uncomfortably in their spots in flesh, but the pain was pushed to the back of the creature's mind. The dogs would be angry at a hunt destroyed, they would be mourning the loss of their pack. They would be filled with fear of the fire, as the 'wolf was.

It was not safe to stay so close.

Yes, that's right, we have to leave.

A pause. Fire continued to leap from the building to the bodies and back again, as if it were playing a game.

We need to move.Now.

Gingerly and slowly it moved, placing one paw after the other. The pace was too slow for the 'wolf's liking but it could go no further with the dogs in such close proximity. Angry and Scared and Sad in great numbers was a lot harder to hunt than when they were only angry in great numbers.

The beast was nothing but a shadow to the dogs as it crept along.

Aris followed behind the shifter, once she had moved past him and started on her way towards the room the others had entered. He slipped out the window right on the heels of the shifter, and looked off in the direction of the other building when one of them mentioned a strip male. Those dark eyes narrowed for a few moments, and then he nodded. His one wing twitched, he rolled his shoulders and looked up to the sky. There was no time to think of not being able to fly right now though, flying would probably be more helpful.

The explosion seemed to have frightened the dogs off, and the building would burn. That might keep some creatures away and yet attract others. They should put at least some distance between them and this place. His lips parted, then closed silently. He tapped his foot on the awning, to make a soft noise. As if to get everyone's attention, he sheathed his sword, and made a motion with his hand. Telling them to make haste, as best he could, then he moved towards the human. For a moment he rested his hand on the top of her head. A reassuring pat that one might do to a small child, and then his arms went around her waist and under her legs.

Sweeping her off her feet princess-style, Aris didn't hesitate, he ran the short distance and leaped off the awning, his single wing extended and flapped a bit to slow their descent, the muscles beneath the scar where his other wing used to be tensed and twitched as if that wing were still there. It made Aris grimace, and his one wing had move a bit awkwardly to keep them straight. All of this only took a few seconds though, and his feet touched the ground almost lightly. No, he couldn't fly, but he could do at least that much with one wing.

Aris hit the ground running, that wing folding against his back as he ran for the intended building. The strip mall. He seemed as light on his feet as a feather on the wind. He wouldn't stop until he reached their intended destination.

There was a crash and a tremor and now the world beneath Dahlia was aflame, dogs whining and yowling as they burned and scattered. The other three were now behind her, wading through the product of her work, through disgusting and filthy blood. She turned to follow the moment she was alone at the stairs, moving down the blood splattered hall and into the room strewn with viscera and skin.

The others were gathered at the window now, the angel motioning something. She barely saw. But then was out the window with their little lamb and making for the squarish figure barely seen through the fog. Oh the fog. It had not been that thick when she had entered. And who knew how long ago that truly was. She turned her head back toward the stairs, eyeing the doorway in which they had entered. Her tongue flashed across her lips before she turned and made her own way to the window and sticking her head out, looking about with red-filmed eyes. Eventually she pulled herself through and onto the awning, looking about at the ground below her. Well there was no way she could jump as far as their angel. Even making it to the next roof on her ankle wouldn't work. She shrugged before, taking a glance back at the wolf with a smile, jumped downward. There was pain in her bones when she connected, a slight strain and a small crack. But she stood straight soon afterward, stretching out her back and looking at the inn behind her. "Fitting....burn like the pigs you were and feed what filthy beasts decide to feast upon your bloated and roasted corpses my friends," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. She then turned and began to make her way from the building, heading toward the mall. Her movements though were sluggish and slow, her bones still sore.

((Sorry super distracted. Hope it makes sense!))

They were all out on the awning now, and smoke was billowing up and out of the part of the building that was missing pieces of wall and window. The smoke was even beginning to seep out of the window behind them, mixing with and darkening the fog. Jules was standing at the edge of the awning, having decided she'd go with her initial plan to lower herself down from the awning and then drop the remaining few feet.

She adjusted her backpack and right before she moved to sit on the ledge, she heard a tapping sound. Jules turned to look at the source. It was the man who couldn't speak. Made sense. He was trying to hurry them along. He was right to hurry. At any moment the fire would reach them, or the building would collapse, or both. He was approaching her and Jules frowned in momentary confusion.

He gave her a pat on the head, and before she could respond or realize she could relax, he was lifting her off the awning. Immediately the feeling of not being in control of herself on the high ledge made her feel like she was going to fall, and she clung to the winged man in a way that she'd probably be embarrassed by later. There was no way he was dropping her. Even if he let go, she wouldn't fall. Not stuck like the velcro she made herself to be.

Jules wasn't afraid of heights. Just afraid of being high up in a position where she wasn't in control and could easily fall, or be dropped a large distance, or thrown. When he jumped from the ledge, her stomach jumped, too. She took note of the large wing that unfolded. It was kind of beautiful. He'd probably looked like some kind of angel when he had two. She was glad to be on the ground now, but he wasted no time setting her on her feet and letting her slow them down.

She wasn't objecting at the moment either. Not with who-knows-what lurking in the fog. She glanced behind them in time to see he ripper jump from the roof. Her ankle didn't look well. At least she could regenerate or whatever, right? Couldn't they all do that? Jules didn't know enough about the monsters of her world. She didn't want to. She'd done her best to just avoid them. Which made her current situation kind of funny.

When they arrived at the mall, there would be a side door. They might get lucky and find it unlocked, who knew? Once inside, they could determine the intensity of any injuries, not that Jules would know how to treat a monster anyway. Then she could figure out her plan from there. The sun would be setting soon, and traveling at night was not an option, ever. Not for a human. If the others moved on, she would stay in the mall alone until morning.

((No worries! And don't worry, it does :P ))


Den. Need den. Hurt - heal.

The creature slowly made progress away from the fire, steps light and muscles tensed. It wanted to move faster. It wanted to run as fast and as far as it could away from this place but stealth was currently the best choice.

Suddenly she stilled, chest heaving and body wracked with pain. Ears twitched from the top of the 'wolf's head. A flap of a bird's wing and a thud and a dull snap of bone. Her eyes dilated in response to the quickening of the heart and her gaze moved rapidly from one side to the other.

A voice - a woman's voice. The stuttering rhythm of limping steps accompanied by quick steps. Not four legged - the pattern wasn't right. There were three pairs of two - upright, twolegged beings. Humans. Vampires. Mutants. Foe or feast whichever way they went

No! No - we need to heal. Let me shift. Let me take care of.. of us.

The human pounded on her mental cage, demanding to be let out. But the 'wolf did not listen. It knew what it was like trapped in the mind of it's human, locked away tightly and only allowed out when the mother moon sang to her. Her human did not know that what ever twolegged she came across was an enemy.

She didn't understand that the 'wolf must keep her safe from danger, for harm to her was harm done to the beast. If not for the blast of fire not a single wound would've been sustained. These twolegged's must have sent it - they must be enemies.

They were only protecting themselves!

The creature's hackles raised and low in it's throat a growl rumbled.

Hurt us. Hunt.

Paws stepped lightly on the ground, distributing it's weight so that nearly no sound was made. It was just another shadow in the fog, a part of the ground, nothing to be concerned about. The 'wolf kept it's pace slightly faster than the slowest twolegged and it would be seconds until she had them in her sights, fog or no.

Stop! Please!

The beast prowled onwards. Before it would find a place to den and take care of injuries, it would make sure the area was safe first. And that meant eliminating all threats.

Glancing at the one winged male after his foot tapped, Jaylee moved to the side to let the male get by. Grinning lightly as he gripped the female human, she held back the chuckle as the human seemed more frightened of the jump than anything else thus far. Watching as the gunslinger stepped out, jumped, then turned to say something to the inn.

Shaking her head, she could hear some of the rafters and support beams crumble in the flames. Deciding now would be a good time to get out of there, the shifter jumped down, gracefully landing in a crouch before she stood to run. Jogging, she kept an easy pace to the back of the group, the redhead was still very much taking her role of overseeing the 'pack' safety seriously. Pausing mid-stride, she could faintly hear growling again, a rumbling sound that was much louder and deeper than the stupid rabid animals earlier. Ruby eyes glowed, swirls of gold blending with the red, canines elongating and nails sharpening.

Without them realizing it, she had moderately adopted the other three into her pack, starting with the human. That meant that she would protect them fiercely. Growling rumbled from her throat again, a warning sound that hopefully would either get the other to back down, or maybe, if she could find out that it was a Lycanthrope, then just maybe she could calm it and get it on their side. Strength in numbers after all. Holding herself tense and at the ready, Jaylee continued her slow path to mall behind her companions.

((Kya, yours made sense. I hope mine does too. I'm not all here kinda...>.<))

Aris would set the human down gently on her feet once they reached their destination. His hand going to his sword hilt and he gripped it tightly, he couldn't help but continue to feel as if they were in danger. He wasn't sure why, and those dark eyes narrowed a bit as he stared out into the fog. The other two hadn't been far behind him, they would arrive at any second, and though he didn't think any of the dogs were chasing them he did feel like something was.

He would let the human try the doors, while he basically stood guard near her. Watching carefully for any sign of their allies or any sign of danger. He expected danger. Something to come from the fog that wasn't friendly. That tongue darted out to moisten his lips for a moment, and the look on his face was one of concentration as he tried to see farther than he could in the fog. If the door was unlocked, and the human did get it open, Aris would stand by it, holding it open so the other two could dart right in. Once they did get inside, he intended to slip in as well and lock the door behind him.

Dahlia's legs felt as the they were on fire. Walking was becoming hard. And her stride had indeed slowed to a walk, a shaky gate as her legs screamed and begged for her to stop. She cursed loudly, finally leaning up against a wall as her legs shook. She had fractured the bones, probably worsened them with her walking.

She cursed her fragile body before turning her head as their wolf approached. She was tense and growling. Deep. Threatening. "Something bothering you pup?" she asked, voice low and laced with pain. As she watched the other with a smile the Rider began to wonder; wonder how long it would take for her bones to heal, how long it would take for the howling beast to find them. How close it had truly been. "May want to go ahead. Don't let this old woman slow you down."

Growling. Not a 'wolf - the sound came from too high up. Not a 'wolf. But a growl it was and how the beast longed to croon in response. But it was a twolegged. A twolegged who ran with the injured and the not, the others that caused the burst of heat and light and fire.

The injured female from before spoke, voice riddled through with pain. The growling continued.

She could see a wall now, one twolegged leaning against it. Maybe a building. A den, perhaps, if she could make it safe enough. Two out here, two closer to maybe-den. Growler goes down first, get them out of the way. Leaves Injured unprotected - easy. She doesn't know about the other two, but the strongest between them goes down first.

Stop. Don't do this! We can - we can den further away. Please.

The 'wolf paused, muscles locking for a moment before crouching low to the ground. Quick strikes. Hit, move away, circle around, hit, move away, circle around. Best bet. Can't find me in fog - won't know where I come next. She rumbled deep in her throat, and that was all the warning the beast gave before she leapt.

The moment Jules was on her feet, she was reaching for the nearest door. It was locked. She tried turning the knob really hard anyway, shaking it, even putting her shoulder to it, but it was no use. Human problems. She frowned at the door. Stupid thing.

Jules looked to the winged man, but he wasn't paying attention here, he was looking out into the fog, watching something? Waiting for the others? He looked somewhat uneasy. Were the dogs still coming? Jules moved quickly to the next door maybe ten feet away or so. Locked. Of course. Hadn't anyone come here and cleaned this mall out yet? No one else had made it a temporary home?

She heard growling. It came from two sources, and she turned around quickly, her human eyes searching for the source. She could see two figures. It looked like the ruby-eyed girl and the ripper. But she couldn't be positive. Though she'd heard the ruby-eyed girl growling before, and this sounded so similar, very distinct. But, even her human ears realized that the source of the other growl was much bigger than any dog.

Jules made a quick decision. They needed to get inside and the doors were locked. She left the group, sticking to the wall of the strip mall as she followed it around the front. She was scared, yes, but there was a possibility that getting inside was up to her and that if she didn't find a way, they would all die. Both of her hands clutched the straps of her backpack until her knuckles turned white. She tried deep breathing, to keep calm. Was the fog thickening? It had to be.

She strained her eyes, trying to force some kind of inhuman super sight, but she was only giving herself a headache. At least, she realized, that she seemed to be getting farther away from the growling, and at the front of the building it seemed very quiet. Part of her just wanted to take the opportunity to leave. Just keep going out of town, but Jules wasn't like that. Even to monsters, Jules couldn't leave anyone to die, especially not the one who'd saved her and brought her to safety. They weren't all the same, she knew.

Besides, it was getting too close to dark and the fog was getting thicker. It wasn't safe for a human to travel at this point, not that it ever was. Jules had arrived at the first door. The entire front of this shop was glass and wood. It had big black words sprayed across one side of the window that said 'Antiques and Trinkets' in fancy lettering. She squinted into the shop. It appeared to be empty. She pulled on the long brass door handle, but the door was locked.

Jules actually rolled her eyes. Really? She really didn't want to have to break the glass to get into a store, not when they were going to treat this place as a temporary safe-house. She would move on to the next door, and the next until she found one unlocked. Then she would travel between shops through their connecting doors until she reached the side of the building where the others would still hopefully be alive, and let them in.

Jaylee cursed fluidly in her mind, the growling had not abated, and the other was still nearby and on the ground "Girlie, ain't no one being left behind." She grumbled out before feeling the impact of the large wolf landing on her. Bringing her arms up, crossed, to protect her throat, she rolled with the fall, getting her feet up into the wolf's belly and throwing it off. It was a werewolf, she could sense the difference. Beyond that, the smell was also different. Letting the gold swirl take over in her eyes, she could feel the small ripple of power that let her body shift forms.

Ears moving, nails sharpening, bones melting and cracking and changing, she quickly shifted from a human, a two-legged, to a very large red wolf. Shaking her fur, not that there was any reason to really, she was not covered in mucus or any liquid, it just felt good to change, she let loose a loud howl, before the shifter once more stared down the werewolf. Growling once more, the deep loud rumbling much more suited to the wolf's throat, lips pulled back to expose sharp teeth. Defending what was hers, that was her job as Alpha. She was trusting, no hoping, the others would work on the shelter bit. Though some niggling part wondered how the one-winged male felt, if he wanted to be alpha or if he would accept her doing it. Most men were that kind of egotistical to refuse being ruled by a woman.

Shaking her head, Jaylee focused on the task at hand- Defend the others, protect the injured.

Alpha. Alpha - two-legged. Alpha?

This was not what the beast wanted to happen. The two-legged had sent it flying, feet digging in where glass was under the skin. She saw the change, a shift. A wolf but not a 'wolf, an alpha but a two-legged. She didn't understand. What she did, though, was that the alpha was helping the uprights. Foe. If she ran, they both died. If they fought they might have a chance.

Change! Let me out! I can reason with them - don't put us both in danger!

A human against an alpha. That was worse than running away.

The alpha howled and the sound shot down through it's spine, causing the hair from the back of the neck all the way back to the tip of the tail to stand on end. The snarling did nothing to make it better.

In response she snarled, lips drawn away from teeth in a mimicry of the other. She barked, short quick bursts of sound before growling. Quick, quick, she'd have to be quick. Ignore the wounds, ignore the pain, she had to be fast. Faster than the alpha. Didn't matter if the other was stronger - swiftness was her skill, and speed could trump strength any day. If she could keep it up long enough of course.

The fog was thickening and dark would be approaching soon. She still needed a place to den - if she managed to make it away from this fight she'd have to find someplace new. She wouldn't be in any condition to take on the other three, regardless of one of the two-legged's injury.

Springing forward the beast swiped at the alpha's side, bouncing away before she could tell if the hit landed or not. Keep to what worked with all other enemies before. Quick strikes, quicker retreat. Rinse, repeat.

Aris occasionally glanced at the human as she tried the doors nearest to them. All seemed to be locked, and he was hesitant to let her go out of his sight, but he felt that she would be alright. At least for a little while. Perhaps long enough to find a way in. The other two females were still in the thick of the fog, and it only seemed to be getting thicker around them all. His body stiffened lightly at the sounds he caught in the distance. His grip on his sword hilt tightened and he drew the blade, his one wing twitching slightly and he glanced over his shoulder to look for the human. She had already turned a corner. He was confident that she would do her part though, she would find a door, a way in.

Without hesitating, he moved forward, with quick but light steps. Quiet as he possibly could be, following the sounds of growling until he could see the others. A large canine darted in and attacked the shifter, then darted away quickly. Aris wasn't sure if the attack had struck his ally yet or not, but he was sure she could defend herself. It was the female with the injury he was more focused on, the one with the strange gun. As stealthily as he could he made his way towards her. She seemed like a capable woman. A strong, independent one, would she allow him to carry her away as he had done the human?

Dark eyes alert as he placed himself in a slightly defensive position in front of the Rider, giving her a questioning, expectant look. He was here to help her, confident that the shifter could distract the other canine long enough for him to get the Rider away from the danger. He was confident the shifter would survive, hold off the other canine at least long enough for him to return to help her fight as well.

][Sorry if there's all kinds of typos and it doesn't make sense, it's 6 a.m and I haven't even been to bed yet, but I'm going right now.][

Name Unknown
Race: Unknown
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Description: He hides inside of a hooded cape. But underneath he's covered in scars. His hair is dark brown, as are his eyes. He stands at 6'2" and is a fairly large man.

The large man had entered into the strip mall from the other side of where the others were. The doors had been locked there, too. He'd simply turned a handle anyway, and broke the lock, letting himself in. He was halfway through strip. There didn't appear to be anyone living here, hiding here, or passing through here.

Then he picked up a sound. A jingle of a bell. On a door. Someone was trying to get into the mall. The jingling stopped. A moment later, there was a rattling of a wooden door, closer. He stepped through the next door as a woman appeared at the front of the shop. She had blonde hair and was wearing a backpack.

She didn't have any obvious mutations. Could she be human? He hadn't seen another being in over a week, and most of the humans had been harvested by now. The woman was trying to see inside. As she tried to open the door, he crossed the small space of what was once a bridal store. He unlocked the door and pushed it open to look down at the female.

~~~*~~~*~~~

Jules stuck close to the building, moving from locked door to locked door. She was losing hope. At some point she would have to venture away from the building and find a rock or something else she could use to bust a window open. Then they'd just have to be sure to block the door that led from that shop to the rest of the mall.

Finally she came to a door to a shop that looked to have been a bridal store. She grabbed onto the door handle. Please open, she thought. No luck. Just as Jules was about to walk away, movement caught her eye inside the store. She looked up quickly just as the door opened.

She stepped back to avoid being hit by the door, but also to put space between her and the stranger. He was looking down at her, she assumed. But she couldn't see his eyes. All she could see of the man was the lower half of his face, shaded and scared as it was. He wasn't smiling. Most people didn't these days she supposed.

He was large. She assumed that most of what was under the dingy brown cape he wore, was mostly muscle rather than bulk of clothes. The weather wasn't cool enough for that much extra clothing, not yet. They stared at each other for a long moment and he moved aside, as if to invite her in. She was trying to decide whether to run away or take her chances going inside. The others were counting on her to get that side door open.

She looked back over her shoulder into the fog once, before moving inside. Once again, they stared at each other for a long moment. They were assessing each other. Finally Jules said, "Thanks for letting me in." She turned and headed for the door that connected this shop to the next. "There are others, I need to let them in." She didn't hang around for conversation. The mysterious man couldn't be trusted anyway. Silent and hidden as he was.

Julia moved quickly, jogging and dodging furnitures and stands and clothes racks as she made her way back down to the other side of the building. When she looked over her shoulder at the random time that she decided to, she noticed that the man hadn't followed. She was alone again. Strange. But, what wasn't anymore?

Finally Julia reached the side door. She unlocked its multiple locks and swung the door open. "Hurry!" she called to the others, waving them inside. She couldn't see any of them well, and she couldn't see the ruby-eyes woman at at all.

Dahlia snorted at their wolf's response, opening her mouth to retort. Only for a snarl to reach her ear and the form of another wolf to burst through the fog. When the wolf began to attack she pushed herself off the wall and lifted her Steed, aiming down the sight at the wolf. But it was gone before she could even charge it and she hissed, glaring after it where it vanished into the fog. She turned as their angel approached, the red film over her vision thickening up once more, her heart beginning to pump harder within her chest. She turned and eyed the direction he had come before turning to look at him again. "...right..." she hissed, her voice containing a slight hitch and break, like static on an unused radio station.

She turned and began to hobble down the alley, lowering her Steed as she glanced back periodically. She was of no use with her legs fractured as they were. When their lamb called for them to hurry she blinked, lifting her eyes and staring through the fog. She could see her shape now, poking from the wall. With a low noise she continued on her way, picking up her pace despite the burning pain in her legs. Adrenaline and Vitae was pumping heavily through her system now, her eyes nearly consumed by that bright red film. It was obvious she was agitated, senses excited and on alert. Ready to fight. Itching for it.

Jaylee watched the other warily, though surprise filled her as the other managed to be just a touch faster, landing a swipe on her side. It wasn't deep, she had managed to dodge the worst, but she'd certainly have some new scars to her human shape. Snarling, the shifter tensed, settling into a prepared, yet waiting, position. Pup, why do you attack? She asked, barking to the other. Maybe she could reason with the animal. But she didn't want to fight, she'd defend the others, but she had sworn against fighting or killing needlessly.

Something like that probably wouldn't make her a very good Alpha, but they'd deal with that when it came up. Jaylee could smell the winged one near the Rider, hopefully he could get them to the door. If so, all the better, especially if she could get this werewolf on their side. If not, it would be no fur off her hide. She knew how to cut her losses.

((I have no idea how no introduce my male now. This bites.))