BunniesOfDoom

Wolf in City of Glass

Ever since this stupid wolf man came into their city, things went downhill and fast. Sure, one wouldn't call beings of magic and power like them parking their asses in the middle of a huge city pleasant, but they were at least content. They had control and they were keeping peace among the immortals and magical races alike. It was just another day on the job when this stupid wolf showed up and now, look at them. Macha was still healing, Anand was acting like the voice of reason and Babd was flip flopping from her warrior to godly self. These last two days were tiring for one and all and Huggin was ready for it all to be over. And yet, he knew the trouble was only just begun. He had this wolf in his head now, talking to him like the two of them knew each other from a previous life. He was so done with this bullshit. He wanted nothing more to do with this. It was almost like dealing with Hela. Her split self acted very similar to this mess and it caused him to release a low sigh. He needed a vacation, a nice long vacation.

Huggin allowed his spear to be pushed to the side as Mal stood. He planted the head of his weapon into the ground and leaned against its shaft as he watched show before him. He watched as the wolf man adjusted his clothes, like it mattered. The clothes were barely in one piece and the only reason they were currently clean was because of Babd removing the blood and grime from him just before the kiss. He just watched Mal with a boredom expressed clear on his face.

When Mal held up the first finger, Huggin had no idea what was to come with the second finger. He was not prepared, to say the least. His eyes widened as the fist crashed into his nose, a sickening crunch sounding upon impact. Huggin's head snapped back from the hit and he stumbled back a step before he snapped his head back to lock rage filled eyes on Mal. His hand reached up and slid along the bridge of his nose, his teeth grit in pain and rage as he stared at the wolf before him. One could hear the sickening crunch as Huggin moved his nose cartilage back into its appropriate place before he used the back of his hand to wipe the blood from him nose. He spat out of glob of blood and spit, his eyes never once leaving Mal again as he curled his hands into tight fists. If this stupid mutt wanted a fight, Huggin would be more than happy to oblige him.

Babd and Anand watched both men, not raising a finger to stop them for even a moment. It was like two mothers seeing toddlers fighting over a toy. As Mel went on about how his last few days had gone, Anand locked her eyes on Babd and waved a hand, proving a point. Babd only rolled her eyes at Anand as Mal continued on with his little rant.

When Mal went to punch Huggin, the bird grabbed a hold of the fist and snapped it to the side, refusing to allow Mal to get another stupid hit off on him again. His other hand waited just to the side as he watched Mal like a hawk watching a mouse skitter across the ground. When Mal was snapped back by the chain that linked him and Babd, Huggin couldn't help but let out a laugh and taunt Vel within his head. “You see that wolf,” his words slid between thoughts like a serpent looking for a place to bask so it can digest its recent meal, “unlike me, you can't leave. You're stuck here, with her.” A small smile crossed his face at the sight of the tug on the chain. It was nice to see.

When the voice came back again, there was something odd about it. Sure, Huggin only had Vel in his head, what twenty minutes, but something about the way he spoke now seemed off. He perked up a moment as he listened intently to Vel before the voice changed and it was a woman in his head. He froze a moment. What did this mean? Huggin narrowed his eyes on Mal. This wolf man was growing more and more confusing as time went on. Did he have other beings in his soul? Was he crafted much like The Phantom Queen? Or were these just memories, somehow finding a voice that spoke to him now.

Arabeth? So the woman's voice belonged to someone named Arabeth? Huggin gave a deep sigh. This really was turning into quite the pain in the ass. He didn't want to be a messenger. Hell, he didn't even want anything to do with this mutt and yet, here he is with these voices in his head that aren't his, they were Mal's or at least belonged to his body. They should stay where they are meant to be and leave his thoughts alone.

As Mal told his story, Huggin just stood there, listening and watching. He could see Vel's form appear just next to him, like an imaginary friend a kid would have when lonely except that Huggin wasn't lonely and would not count the wolf a friend. However, where as the wolf began as a tint of purple, that color turned a bright red, like a mood ring showing his mood for all to see. Well, for Huggin to see at least.

When the song hit him, it took everything Huggin had not to crumple to his knees. His eyes were wide as he suddenly found himself somewhere else. He watched as brothers tried to please the gods, tried to bring balance back but were left unanswered. Poor fools. There was a chance that the imbalance took place because the very gods they prayed to were killed. Druids, possibly Pan. That man has been missing for centuries.

When Vengeance came to call, Huggin almost gasped out to see Vioarr standing now before the men. He was the one who brought forth this wolf? Ironic, since Vioarr was the one to slay Finra, a wolf on its own killing spree. He supposed that if there was anything Vioarr felt could be strong enough to take revenge for the imbalance that had been done, a wolf seemed most suitable.

When the vision came to an end, Huggin took a deep gasp of breath, only then realizing he had been holding his breath through the whole vision. He dropped to one knee and rested his arm across that bent knee. He let his forehead lay fully on his forearm as he took a moment to get his baring. He closed his eyes for a moment, a pounding headache now beginning to develop at his right temple. He grit his teeth as Mal continued on with his useless bickering. A grill? A stupid grill? He looked up from his arm and to the man, his bloodshot eyes fierce as he slowly stood to his feet.

“A grill? That's what you want right now? A fucking grill?” He took a step towards Mal, pointing to his temple. “If one more of your stupid little friends talk into my head, I'm going to lose my fucking mind! First Vel won't leave me alone. That was bad enough but now this woman, Arabeth or whatever? Keep your own fucking problems to yourself and keep yourself in your own fucking head ,Vel!” Huggin yelled as he sent a harsh flick to Mal's forehead. “Stay out of my fucking head! I don't want to know anything about any of you!”

Babd and Anand slowly stood up at the sight of Huggin approaching Mal while screaming. Both sisters watched intently as Huggin went on and on about not being left alone in his own head. Anand looked to Babd and the sisters shared a look. Anand waved her hands and her magic pulsed out like a calming wave of cool water. It wrapped around Huggin and for a moment he struggled against it.

“Don't you dare Anand! I won't be put to sleep now! This man and his stupid wolf need to learn some-” his words stuttered a moment as he strained to stay on his own feet, “fucking boundaries.” Anand's magic swirled around him and coaxed him to sleep. Huggin struggled against it for only a moment more but he was so tired, so very tired. He collapsed into the magic, his eyes rolling back into his head as he did so.

In the meantime, Babd raised a hand and her own magic flared up like a wall between the two men. Things were getting a little too intense at the moment and it was about time they brought it down to a manageable level. One might think the two would have stepped in when Mal was actively attacking Huggin, but both Babd and Anand have been with Huggin for a few centuries now. If they feared a mere mortal would hurt Huggin enough to cause any real damage, they would have stepped it. However, a few punches to the face wasn't going to take that old bird down.

Now though, Anand peered into Huggin's face with concern. His face was pale and when she opened his eyelids to peer into his eyes, she found them bloodshot. She frowned as she continued to look over him like a diligent doctor looking over a sick patient. In the meantime, Babd stepped up to confront Mal.

“Perhaps it's time for us to have a good talk, hmm.” Her black eyes locked on Mal's as if she could peer into them, past his eyes and into the wolf's eyes behind them. There was a flicker of magic and she gave a twist of her wrist, her magic pulsing out from the bindings on his wrist and throat. It flowed along his form until it condensed at his feet like a puddle of black. She moved her hand aggressively to the side and the blob of black swiftly moved to the side of Mal before it began to bubble and boil. She couldn't truly pull him from Mal, not physically without killing him and causing the switch but her magic was linked to him now. She could bring him to bare if she wanted to.

She flicked her wrist towards the sky and the bubbling ooze slowly began to take form. It grew and grew until a form of Vel stood next to Mal, the black puddle still connected at Mal's feet like shadow come to life. Babd frowned fiercely as she crossed her arms, peering at the two before her in frustration. “Now, men, I think we do need to learn a few boundaries, yes?” She turned her eyes on Vel, her frown deepening as she did so. Just to prove a point, she allowed her voice to not only speak out loud but also within their heads.

“I'm sure you did know Vel, because you're young, but you permission to intrude into someone's mind. I can do it to you because I'm your master. Huggin, however, is not your plaything.” She allowed her voice to leave their heads as it rose in volume at her rage. Fire danced behind those black eyes as she kept her eyes locked on the two of them. “We will not be intruding in his mind again. Am I understood?” She was downright enraged at this point. It was like a mother lecturing two children about pulling each other's hair. When she took Vel as her own, she didn't think it would essentially be the same as taking in a child and having to teach them wrong from right.

“However, your concerns were heard Mal,” She turned from the two of them and waved a hand. Her magic flared out once more and a table materialized out of no where, a meager ten feet from them. She gave another wave of her hand and food began to populate the table, everything from burgers to steaks, fries and chips, and everything in between.

Of course, Babd could not just materialize food from the ether. Somewhere, there were a few families that were sitting down to dinner unsure of where their food just disappeared to, hell, one family had even just lost their dinner table. Nonliving, inanimate objects as small as these were child's play for her to relocate here. It was when the item was alive that the magic truly got complex and needed special circles and ingredients. She looked to Anand who was still looking over Huggin diligently. She knew it would take her sister a long time before she could carve a circle of that power once again. She pitied her sister at the thought. It would be a real pain in the ass getting her circle back up again.

Project: Revival

Oh that's right, she's not a "true" werewolf. Nevermind. Forget I said anything lol.

Project: Revival

There's a reason for it! Werewolf siliva has healing properties~ 🤣🤣

@Arista

Well it's a good thing I'm making my dude immune to the werewolf curse lol

Wolf in City of Glass

When Vel ate the feather, Huggin almost shifted to his human form and struck him down right then and there. It was only the fear of his mistress that he kept his bird form and watched in absolute horror induced silence as the wolf devoured his feather. Huggin had assumed he would use the feather as a way to taunt him. Maybe hang it from a necklace around his neck. He never thought for even a moment that this thing would eat a part of him. He wasn't sure how his magic would interact with the magic of the wolf but he figured he would now find out.

When the two embraced, Huggin watched with a blank expression on his face. He was so very sick of this man. He was so very much done with him. Wolves were never to be trusted and yet, here was his mistress staking claim on one right before his eyes. He wondered, for even a moment, if this would end the same as his previous master. Would the Phantom Queen eventually die to her 'pet' just as Odin had all those centuries ago. He watched as they rose into the air, her magic flaring around them in a chaotic show of strength. The Morrigan was not exactly stronger than Odin. It really wasn't capable to compare one god to another in such a matter. The two were completely different from each other. Especially since The Phantom Queen was essentially three people merged into one.

Huggin looked over to the protective bubble that held both Anand and Macha. He wondered how they would feel to know that Babd was doing such a thing to the wolf that had offered them help, but only an hour before. He was sure it wouldn't go over well when they found out. He imagined Anand, most of all, would not be happy about it. He sighed at his mistress's brashness. Sometimes, she truly did not think things through properly. Hopefully this will not backfire on them in the long run. He shivered at the thought before rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck, as if releasing those dark thoughts with the pop of his stiff neck and loosening of tense muscles.

When Babd finally released Vel, Huggin kept his eyes on the wolf with that same blank look on his face. He only looked away from the wolf for a moment when Babd ordered him to get the gun. Huggin would have been more than happy to ignore the wolf completely until he made a comment about how Babd tasted. He patiently watched for Babd to make her little speech before she squatted right in front of the wolf, the signs of a smile flickering into life on the very edge of his lips.

“You know, wolf. You're trying to bluster but you know as well as me, you're caught. How does it feel to know there's a collar around your neck and not one around mine, hmm? See, I can leave, whenever the fuck I want.” With that last sentence, he put the barrel to the wolf's head and pulled the trigger, pausing for only a moment as Vel's face turned to that of his old master.

This didn't hurt Huggin as much as Vel thought it would. Instead, it just made the man mad. He had centuries to get over the lost of his old master. His image did not stir up pain like it once did but Vel trying to use it to upset Huggin just enraged the raven. He fired the gun twice more, Babd looking over at him as he stood up and threw the gun to the side. Babd looked down at Vel and watched as invisible claws, a tail, and other features dissolved into nothing on the ground. She gave a small nod before she retrieved her sisters.

As Mal woke, inspecting his new bindings, Babd filled Anand in on what was going on, Huggin stood over the wolf and produced his spear and rested he head of it on his shoulder, just a warning to make sure the wolf remained right where he was. When Vel's voice crept into Huggin's mind, the spear tip moved ever so slightly closer to Mal's jugular. Great, now he had the stupid wolf stuck in his head.

“It's cute you think you know anything about gods, pup. You've been alive, what, maybe a hundred years? Come talk to me again when you actually know the full facts of the story instead of just the little cliff notes you got from eating my feather. You don't know anything about the goddesses that just bound you but you'll learn. You've got the rest of eternity to serve her like a nice, little, pup.” He gave a harsh laugh in his head but you wouldn't know it by his blank expression that remained on his face as he watched Mal. Vel wasn't the first one to talk to him in that manner and wouldn't be the first. If it turned into too much of a hassle, he'll tell Babd and he's sure she would bind his voice to his own head.

Anand and Babd came to sit down next to Mal, Anand looking to the spear next to Mal's throat with a frown. “Perhaps that's not necessary. Maybe we can lessen the aggression just a bit?” Huggin shook his head as he shifted his grip on the spear.

“Fraid not, especially since Babd is about to tell him about how she bound them to her.” Anand blinked fiercely for a few blinks before she turned to face Babd sitting on the ground next to her.

“I'm sorry. What did he just say?” Babd didn't look at Anand, knowing full well she was going to be very, very angry at her for binding a living soul to them, let alone multiple in the form of Mal and Vel. “Babd,” Anand leaned forward and locked her gray eyes on Babd, her face forming a sneer, “I need to hear you say you didn't bind the wolf that threatened his own life to help us. I need you to say that for me. Come on, just say it.”

Babd clenched her lips into a tight line on her face before she finally threw her hands up in protest. “He demanded a kiss from me, Anand! What was I supposed to do?”

Anand was in full rage now as she reached over and gave her sister a firm swat on the back of her head, causing Babd's head to fly forward as she let out of a surprised grunt. “Not BIND HIM! What do you mean, what was I supposed to do? Do like every other logical person in the world and thank him! Like a thankful sister and not try and suck his very soul out of his body! Damnit Babd.” Anand stood up and began pacing, her hands in the air and punctuating each of her statements with a fierce point either at Mal or at Babd, almost as if she was trying to call down thunder to smite the two of them with each point.

“You're such an idiot! Surely it hasn't been so long since you handled non deities that you FORGOT that it's NOT okay to just go around binding living souls to you!” Anand came to stand before Babd, the feathered one staring up at her sister with wide eyes. It had been a very long time since she saw Anand so angry. Eventually Anand sat down with a loud huff as she stared at her sister, her arms crossed over her chest.

Babd slowly opened her mouth to speak but shut it quickly at the look that Anand gave her. It was obvious that Anand wasn't looking for an actual excuse. She wanted Babd to understand just how angry she was but Anand was also absolutely exhausted. Eventually she released a low sigh and her arms dropped down. “I'm getting too old for this.” She pinched the bridge of her nose before she turned her eyes back to Mal, magic causing her gray irises to flicker like dancing flames as she examined his form. Sure enough, there on his wrists and around his neck was Babd's abyssal magic in the form of bindings. She groaned as she rubbed the palms of her hands into her eyes, fiercely before dropping her hands once again. “Explain to me why you haven't undone his binds Babd. And you better have a good reason.”

Babd didn't answer her then but turned her black eyes onto Mal, a wicked smile crossing her face. She knew what she had seen in that body of theirs. A man drowning in an ocean and a wolf with multiple faces inside. She crossed her arms before she gave a small nod towards Mal. “It's not me you should be asking. It's Mal. Tell us Mal, why should that wolf of yours be bound?”

Huggin watched the show in front of him silently. When Babd finally turned her attention on Mal and asked him why they should keep the wolf bound, Huggin gave a huff. That wolf most definitely needed to be bounded, no doubt about it. That bastard was chatting it up in Huggin's head all willy-nilly, like it's perfectly acceptable to just intrude in someone's thoughts like that. He looked forward to hearing what Mal had to say about this one.

Project: Revival

Oh the irony haha

Yeah. When I get into a story, I tend to just type and sometimes I don't reread it well enough before I post.

Also, EWWWWW she licked him. Gross

Project: Revival

No you're fine! No worries. You've given me more than enough to work with. If my stuff is getting a little ridiculous, please tell me lol.

Project: Revival

Lucian was really feeling the strain of this stupid fight by now. Normally, a street fight would be done and over after about ten minutes, tops. But this fight had been going on for far longer and his body was really showing the strain now. His heart was pounding in his ears and he was having a hard time catching his breath as he kept a full sprint behind the wolf. Damn that girl could move. Four legs really did make up a huge difference than his two and soon he was starting to fall behind her, something slick causing his feet to slide just a bit under him. He couldn't pay attention to that now though. He would just have to deal with the wet floor as he followed behind the wolf. It's not like him slipping would give him a suing chance at this moment. Hey I slipped on your floor. I'm suing you. They would laugh the whole way back to his cell while throwing him back in. Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. He had to keep moving.

When the wolf came to a sudden halt in front of her, Lucian slid harshly. Damn this floor was slick! He caught himself on a table and kept from sliding too far before his eyes locked on the glass windows. His heart skipped a beat for only a moment before he moved. Freedom indeed. Freedom he wasn't willing to pass up. He ran up and wrapped his arms around the wolf's midsection and took off in a sprint, heading straight for the nearest window. "Hold on! We're breaking out of here!"

He tightened his grip on the wolf, dropped her head away from the sight as he lowered his shoulder. A loud crash sounded as they went barreling through the window. Without even a moment to recognized that there were people staring at them in horror, he spread his wings and gave a might flap. They launched off the ground like a shot, firing in the sky as fast as his wings would take them. He was pretty sure birds couldn't fly this fast. Perhaps his angelic abilities was also super fast flight. He couldn't think too hard on it at the moment. He needed to do what he swore he would. Aneira got them there, now it's his turn to get them out.

Higher and higher they flew, his wings flapping harder and harder as he tried to put as much distance between them and the building. He knew they had a tiny window. He wasn't going to let those bastards get a hold of them again. He refused. They were finally free and he was going to keep it that way. He was going to fly as long as his wings could carry them.

Eventually he came to settle on an elevation that didn't feel too thin to him, he tried a few different heights. Some seem too high and his already heavy breathing made it impossible for him to even get a full breath but he didn't want to be too low that people would notice them too easily. An angel carrying a wolf and flying around the city was bound to get the news interested. Best they hide where most people don't look, up.

His heart was still in his ears and his breath was coming in harsh ragged breaths. He had put a nice little distance between them and their cells but he felt they needed more. His palms were clammy and his skin pale. He vision began to blur and he blinked fiercely, trying to get them to focus. "Damnit," he muttered to himself as he felt Aneira slowly slipping from his grasp. He clenched tighter and pulled her closer to his chest, no way he was going to let this girl fall out of his grip, especially not this high up. He felt a harsh pain in his chest when he pulled her close to him and looked down to see that the whole front of his shirt was soaked red with blood. He blinked a few times at the sight of it. Surely that wasn't his blood but he couldn't seem to make his mind focus long enough to remember if the blood was there before they left the building or not.

He gave a mighty flap of his wings and his back lit on fire from pain. He released a pained gasp as he tried to think. Why was thinking getting so hard? He looked around for a place for them to land, his eyes spotting the roof of an apartment building not far off. His shifted their trajectory to aim for the roof, feeling them droop more and more in the sky as his vision got blurrier and blurrier. As they soared just over the edge of the roof of the building, Lucian slowly let Aneira slip from his grip and let her gently fall down to the ground as best he could in his current condition before he, himself, came crashing down on the roof in a harsh crash of feathers and blood.

He sprawled on his back, his heartbeat trying to push the little blood he had left in his system around. His breath was fast and ragged as his body tried to get oxygen to his cells, to his brain. Ironic. They did all that work for him to just end up like this. He gave a small laugh before he allowed his eyes to close. Ironic indeed.

Project: Revival

When Aneira nudged Lucian's hip, he looked down at her with a fierce frown on his face. What could this woman want from him? He couldn't tell where the exit was. All he saw were more and more guards. He released a roar of annoyance as he crushed another guard's nose. "What?!" He called out, throwing his hands in the air. "I don't know what you want, Aneira. If you want me to follow you somewhere," He grabbed a guard and used him to slam another guard into the wall next to them, "Then move. your. fucking. feet!" He reached down and grabbed Aneira by the scruff of her neck and heaved. He picked the wolf up off her feet, took aim over the guards and gave a mighty yell as he threw her as far as he could over the guards. He could fly. He had wings that he could use to follow behind her but he couldn't just keep throwing guards left and right and hope they cleared them enough for her to show the way before another group of guards found their way into this stupid, tiny, little hallways. He was growing claustrophobic and angry.

When the wolf was out of his grip, he quickly dropped his weight and charged forward, sidestepping the first guard then shoulders the second guard out of the way. They needed to get out of this place. He could feel his heart beat really starting to race. He was losing his cool. Normally, it wouldn't take long for him to lose that cool but he held it under lock and key, at least until this point. Now he hands were bloody, his muscles hurt, and he was sure someone had poked him a time or two with a cattle prod in the middle of battle that he was now feeling. He needed them to get out of this mess and fast because he wouldn't last much longer like this.

Lucian was quick behind her and had just pushed his way through the last of the guards when a shot rang out, the sound so loud it reverberated off the walls of the hall. He felt a prick of pain in his back but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle at the time. He ignored it and kept running after Aneira, determined to get out of that place as soon as possible, his breath suddenly coming in harsh gasps at the prospect of finally being away from this place.

Wolf in City of Glass

A black crow flew over the large battle field, its eyes flashing from one body to the next. It was looking for a very specific thing here on this blood soaked land, the fading and dying warrior.

The Phantom Queen is more than just a title that warriors prayed to just before battle. The Morrigan, but more importantly Babd, played the role of soul guide for those who fell in battle. A psychopomp, as some would claim her to be. Her magic was linked to that abyss that lingered after death, that abyssal plain where nothing alive could remain.

Her touch could free the soul from the dying flesh and her magic would carve a path for it to find its way to its final resting place. So when her eyes finally laid upon that warrior who was taking their final breath, she shifted to her human form and dropped down next to him. A young Morrigan could be seen standing next to him, glistening armor upon her form, her black spear in her hands. “Warrior. You have fought well. A worthy death indeed.”

She knelt by the man and allowed her black eyes to lock on his, a gentle smile on her face. “You may finally rest. The fight is over.” She then reached out and touched his forehead, magic tendrils of magic spreading like ink from her fingertip. It seeped into her skin before his eyes rolled back into his head and he convulsed under her touch. His back arched harshly before he dropped down on the ground and finally grew still.

Only then did she begin to pull her hand away from the man, a blue line of wispy smoke following along behind her finger. She twirled her finger around, causing the smoke to swirl in upon itself before she reached up and snapped her hand into a fist around the smoke, anuffing it out completely. When she opened her hand again, the smoke was gone, only a black inky mark of her own magic on her palm left in its wake.

She once more turned into a crow and took to the air again, seeking another soul for her to harvest.

It had been a long time since Babd had served her roll as a Psycopomp, but when Vel stepped forward, bowed, and offered the agreement, there was a glint in her eyes like back then. He wanted a kiss? This man, who had no idea who she was, had no idea what her touch could do. Had no idea just what SHE could do.

A mischievous grin split her face in half and she locked her hungry eyes on Vel. “Very well, Malcome. You kill this hunter for me,” she turned her spear around and planted the spear head into the ground in finality, a deal he wanted and a deal he will strike, “and I will provide you with a kiss.”

She could warn him, she could explain to him just what it meant for her to touch him, especially touch him so intimately as such with a kiss but what fun would that be?

When he turned to face Huggin and say he needed a feather, Huggin looked appalled at the prospect. His feathers weren't some trophies for people to collect to put on display. However, before he could object, he felt the heat of Babd’s gaze upon him and instead of making a smart retort, he just clenched his lips into a thin line. He didn't answer except for the smallest of nods. He hated it but Babd was hatching a scheme and he wouldn't go against his Phantom Queen.

When Mal pointed to the car, Babd looked at it with a quiet sigh, almost indulging the man and his childish ways. When Vel left quickly, Babd turned to Huggin, a demented smile crossing her face. She pulled the spearhead from the ground and gave the dirt stuck to the metal a removing flick. “Huggin, do go keep an eye on my little wolf would you?” Her smile grew just slightly more as she looked at her reflection in the spearhead. “We don't want anything to happen to him before I can make him mine, hmm?” She peered up at Huggin, her gaze predatory. Huggin almost shivered under that gaze before he shifted to his bird form and took off after Vel. He almost felt bad for the wolf. Sometimes, Babd can be scary.

Huggin followed along behind Vel, keeping this wolf in his sight as he approached the hotel. He came to settle on the roof of the building, his eyes taking in the scene below. He watched as there was a loud bang from the shotgun, followed by the flames that he could only assume had burned Macha earlier. His feathers flared at the sight of it all. He had no idea humans were able to make such weapons of destruction. Perhaps it was time for them all to address the threat the humans were quickly becoming in the real world. They didn’t need magic, it seemed.

As Vel brought the man to a grisly end, Huggin stiffened at the prospect of giving a piece of him to this wolf. He watched as Vel stepped on the man’s head and it popped like a grape under pressure and then the hand came up in a clear gesture. He wanted his reward from Huggin. Huggin dropped his head in a menacing gesture before he reached back between his wings and plucked a feather that was on its way out anyways. He allowed his magic to flow along the feather, coating it lightly before he released it. If he was going to give a part of himself to this wolf, the least he could do was make use of it. His magic on the feather will make it so he could track that very feather, no matter where it went. He released the feather and allowed it to flutter down to Vel below, his eyes never once leaving the wolf.

After Vel took the feather, Huggin huffed before taking to the sky again and leading the way back towards the women. When they arrived, Babd was sitting on a makeshift seat just outside of the bubble that had Anand and Macha within, Anand working hard to heal their sister. When both wolf and bird appeared, Babd looked up at them. A smile slowly spread across her lips as Huggin shifted to his human form, walking up to her side and crossing her arms.

“I would ask if the task was done but judging by the look of Mal,” She took a scan of Huggin’s head and gave a small chuckle, “and the small patch of missing hair on the back of Huggin’s head, I’d say it was done.” She stood up and clapped her hands together. Her black magic flared out from her palms, thunder rumbling around them as she did so. She rubbed her palms together as she stepped up to Vel.

“First things first, I am not kissing a man covered in the blood of his enemy, no matter how glorious of a sight it may be.” She brought one of her palms forward, her magic flowing forward like black water. It cascaded along his form, gentle as a summer shower, and pulled the muck and grime from him. She gave her wrist a swift twist and the magic condensed to a ball before hovering back towards her. She reached out and snatched it out of the air, almost hungrily. When she opened her hand once again, the magic was absorbed again, the blood and gore absorbed into her being.

Oh yes, she was feeling very war godly right about now. Even her form adjusted to her sentiments. The black armor fell away, revealing heavily tattooed arms and chest. Her black wings slowly rose from her back as if they were tucked there the whole time. Her spear vanished and her clothes morphed into clothes that seemed more appropriate upon Macha than herself. A silky, translucent gown hung from her shoulders and fell down to gather on the ground at her feet, a thick belt of leather and metal seeming to be the only thing keeping her gown on her being.

Huggin’s breath caught for a moment at the sight of her before he slowly lowered down to one knee in front of her. He planted a fist on the dirt and cast his eyes down in respect of the deity that now stood before him. Babd was a warrior for sure and Huggin was very much used to that side of her but Babd was also a goddess of war and death and the form that she took now was no warrior. The being that stood before Vel now was the death aspect of the Phantom Queen, the seeker of souls, the traverser of fate. She did not take this form often but at this moment, she was seeking a soul. Vel’s soul, in particular. Perhaps if he kept his head down and showed his respect, Vel would be the only soul she would claim this day.

“A deal,” Babd’s voice rang out like a gentle chorus of bells as she rose from the ground with a small flap of her wings, “is a deal. A kiss for the slaying of an ant.” When she was at eye level with him, she leaned forward, her black eyes locked intently onto his. There was a darkness within those eyes of hers, as if a never ending pit sat just behind those irises. If one stared hard enough, they may even see a soul or two attempting to claw their way out of that very pit. They say the eyes are a gateway to the soul, hers were more the gateway to the pit of souls.

She leaned forward and crushed her lips against his, hungrily coiling her arms around his neck so that he couldn’t pull away from her. Her wings wrapped around him completely, crushing him into her as her magic pulsed and dove. Upon that contact, her magic got to work. Like a drill looking for oil, it sunk into his being, pushing through any opening it could find, nostrils, eyes, ears, any and every little hole was an access point for her magic, the mouth being the main point where the most of her magic pushed in. Godly magic pushed into his very essence, pulsing into his soul, mind, and body. It consumed him completely.

Her eyes were still locked on his as she watched him intently, her magic diving into his core and seeking it, his very soul. What she found wasn’t what she was expecting. In a flash of light, she found herself hovering just over an ocean. She looked around at the sight, a frown forming on her face as she tried to understand where she was and what she was witnessing. Normally, she would dive into a person’s being and grasp a soul. There wasn’t anything to it but here, it was as if she found herself in a storage box and the box was an ocean.

She looked around slowly, her eyes catching movement under the waves. She peered down and was surprised to see Mal there, under the water. He seemed to be drowning down there. She lowered herself to just above the water’s surface, staring down at him below the waves. So, that was how the two kept each other suppressed. Suddenly, the salt water manipulation upon the girl the day before made sense. She pondered the sight for a moment, questioning if she should do anything to help Mal. Was it her place? He had released the wolf, however, Mal had asked for them to kill him after everything was done. Perhaps they should have allowed Huggin to shoot Mal after all. She would have to address that later. For now, however, she had a wolf to find.

She turned from Mal and quickly looked around until her eyes fell on the wolf off on the shore. She grinned and tucked her hands behind her back. “Don’t Mal, we’ll get you out but for now, I have a wolf to claim,” her words dipped with such possessiveness, it almost made the air around her quiver. She zipped off, allowing her wings to take her to the wolf at amazing speed. She came to a sharp stop just over him, her eyes wide and her smile even more so.

“Surely, you were taught not to make a deal with the devil.” She lowered herself down to the wolf, her feet gently landing on the soft sand. Her magic had already begun to claim him even before she came into this headspace of theirs. She could see it oozing from him like toxic fumes. “You should think before you ask things of gods,” she hissed out the last word.

She reached out and her finger touched his forehead and the magic stiffened instantly as it listened and followed her call. It flowed along his body before finally coming to settle around his wrists, forming thick shackles, and the last of it condensing around his neck in a thick, black metal color. She gave a dark laugh as she raised a hand, a chain of black metal forming from her palm to the collar around his neck. She gave it a mighty tug so that he was looking directly at her, her eyes manic at the sight of her new pet. “You’re mine now pup. Welcome to an eternity of servitude.” And with that she began to rise, pulling him along with her by the chain. She gave another laugh as her magic built behind her, gathering as she prepared her exit, her new soul tightly in her grasp.

The magic released and she launched off like a rocket, pulling Vel with her as she ripped through all the magic, through the headspace, through reality until she was back within her body, her lips still pressed firmly upon Vel’s lips. She blinked once, twice, then released Vel from her grasp. At some point during the kiss, she had risen off the ground with him still tightly bound in her grip. She watched as he dropped down, seeing with her magical eyes the new metal collar around his neck. She grinned fiercely before she turned her eyes on Huggin. The raven flinched under that gaze.

“Huggin,” she said as she slowly lowered herself back to the ground, her bare feet coming to silently settle on what was left of the road below her. “Get the gun please. I think it’s about time we talk to Mal again. Though it’s been quite the pleasure Vel,” she said as her eyes turned once more to her sweet, sweet new wolf. “Fear not, you’ll be coming out again. I just need to talk to the human for a little bit.” She crouched down, resting a gentle, almost a motherly hand on his cheek, “You’re mine now and I’ll be damned if you stay locked away, my little wolf.” She stood as she began to revert back to her warrior form. Her magic flowed along her and condensed into her armor, her wings once more sinking into her back.

While Huggin got to work on getting the gun, Babd walked over to the bubble that held Macha and Anand. She gave a swift three knocks on the bubble, Anand looking up at them in shock. She looked around at the scene before she gave a wide swipe of her hand, the bubble dispersing from around them.

“What happened,” she asked as she slowly stood up. Macha was looking much better at this point. Her arm was still missing and the damage there was still being worked on but the burns on her face were fully healed and her right side was nothing but burn blisters at this point. Anand had been hard at work and it was very obvious in her pale face. Babd frowned slightly.

“You need to not work yourself so harshly. If you push too hard, you might find yourself worse than Macha.” Anand waved it off before turning her eyes onto Huggin who had just found the gun and was making his way to Vel.

“Hey! I said that we didn’t need to shoot Mal! What do you think you’re doing Huggin?” She asked, angrily. Before she could push pass Babd and stop him, Babd grabbed her arm and kept her from going anyways.

“Trust me, sister. We’re just keeping a promise we made earlier. A lot has been happening. Let’s get Mal back then we can all sit and have a nice little talk. I need to know what Mal has done exactly to make that beast.” A smile crossed Babd face, her beast now. Anand watched Babd for a moment before she crossed her arms, a frown on her face. However, she trusted her sister. If Babd said this needed to be done, then it needed to be done. So she just sat down, crossed legged on the ground and waited. Perhaps Babd was right, Anand was exhausted. Maybe she did need to take a moment to rest.

---

”Gotta go, wish me luck.” Then the sound of a shotgun blasting was the last thing before the voicemail came to an end. Wings had heard the end of friends and family in such a matter many times before but this one was different. This was James, her James. Her chest was tight as she once more listened to the voicemail for a third time. Each time, the shotgun blast felt like a punch to the chest. She had already tried to call him, fifteen times. Each time, the call instantly went to voicemail. It, technically, didn’t mean he was dead. It just meant that his burn phone was dead but she knew, knew in her very soul that that wasn’t the case. Her James was no longer with them, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. She slowly lowered her phone down in practiced control. She knew better, knew that getting this close to anyone was a mistake. They were hunters and hunters don’t live to the ripe old age of 60.

She slowly rose from her chair, giving a soul crushing sigh before she rolled her shoulders as if shrugging off the pain. She had a hunt to lead. James had done it. He had finally found Cerberus but he also found something else, a giant he said. Something that could swat Mothra, he had said. That was something new, even to her. She had been hunting her whole life. This was a family career and she had never heard of something so large that it could swat a fictional creature as large as Mothra. They had to go see what was going on over there. Despite Jame’s warning. She needed to know about that creature and she needed to check on James. Just in case. Just in case.

She walked to the edge of her desk and pressed a button on her intercom. “Yes,” came a male voice on the other end.

“Gather a reconnaissance team. We’re going to Leygas, Ohio. James was last known in that city and he found Cerberus and other creatures. Prepare for dangerous monsters. We may be going into a battle ground.”

“Yes ma’am. Are we flying?” The voice asked over the com. She pondered a moment before giving a small nod.

“Yes, we’ll fly. We leave in 2 hours.”

“Acknowledged.” The com voice said before the connection was cut off, leaving the woman once more in silence in her office. She took another look at her phone before she slipped it into her pocket and began for the door of her office.

“We’ll bring you home James and I’ll hang that mutt’s pelt on my wall.” She exited her office, slamming the door closed, a small photo hanging on the wall falling on the ground and shattering. A photo of James and her, arm in arm with huge grins on their faces. They would pay.

Project: Revival

As Lucian jumped off the door, her arms wrapped around the neck of the next guard in range of his grip and he coiled it tight. He pulled the guard tight against his chest and clenched his grip as tightly as he could until he heard a pop. He then released the guard, who dropped down to the ground in a heap, before whirling on his feet and slamming his fist into another guard's nose. A loud crunch sounded and the man was thrown, flying back into the guards behind him from the force of the hit. There were so many guards, Lucian couldn't even pause for a moment to recognize that he most likely just killed that guard he had in a head lock. He was running on pure instinct alone. Strike, dodge, flow, move. It was like a constant dance as he glided from one guard to the next. His elbow struck a guard in the sternum. A kick sending another crashing into the wall. Step over, side step, twist to miss a jab of a cattle prod. This was getting bothersome. When the hell do they run out of guards.

When a bark sounded, Lucian peered up for only a moment to see Aneira with her nose in the air. He allowed an eyebrow to raise. He wasn't quite sure what she was trying to tell him but he figure he would let her lead him through this mess. He kicked a guard out of the way and quickly tried to make his way to her as fast as the cluster of fearful humans would allow him. He dropped down and threw himself forward, grabbing one of the guards between them at the abdomen and then stood quickly, throwing the man over his shoulder and into the guards behind. Now he finally stood next to Aneira, keeping her in the corner of his eye as he braced to fight more guards.

"Lead the way," he said, getting into a fighting stance.