[size=10][center]For: [url=http://www.endlessforest.org/community/node/84484]xxx[/url]

[center][size=10][i]"I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in."[/i]
- George McGovern[/size]

[b]Part I - "Red Like Roses"
March 29th, 2013[/b][/center]
<center><div style="width:600px; height:300px; overflow:auto; background:#231b17; border: none; text-align:justify; padding:10px; font: 10px ; letter-spacing: 0pt; Float: center;">[size=10][i]7:20pm[/i]
All was quiet, save for the gurgle of water as the Crying Idol cried, as always. Birds sang nearby, butterfly wings silently beating the air, colours vibrant. Picturesque perfection, a heaven for the weary, young and old.

Within the shelter of a glade, splashes of white, black, and red were visible through the purples, blues, yellows, pinks. A small Steenbok had taken residence there, curled tight as if to shut the world out, trapping herself within her own.

She could not shake the sickness that plagued her heart, as it traversed her body; through her blood, nerves, muscles, tightening them, straining them. Her lungs felt starved of air, as her stomach groaned and bloated slightly. With a start, she thrashed, trying to force back bile that was threatening to force itself from her throat.

She didn't understand.

[i]This sick, strange darkness is creeping on...[/i]

"Something's wrong. Very, very wrong," she quietly wailed to no one in particular, as she continued to roll on the ground. Very few times had the small antelope colicked, and that night in particular was worrisome.

What stopped her flailing was a steady, faint vibration along the ground that spurred her to her feet. She wobbled slightly, only to slam a front foot down to anchor herself, snap herself into focus. Ears swiveled, attempting to find the source.

When she found it, her blood turned cold, before erupting into an intense boil. As if she had waited her whole life for it, bones and sinew snapped and twisted, contorting her body into the gruesomely beautiful form that was her Queen incarnate. Brilliant monarch markings glowed, [i]burned,[/i] like hot metal, the twisted thorns that made up her crown, her tines, jetting outwards with all intent of spilling blood. The thylacine skull that replaced her comparatively baby faced Steenbok visage stared menacingly off into the distance - toward one place, and one place only.

The bellow that echoed from her chest, erupting from her throat, was devoid of human characteristics. It was strictly feral, strictly [i]predatory.[/i]

The call to War had come once again.

[i]7:30pm[/i]
Snapping jaws and shrill hisses chorused with the thundering of hoofbeats and frustrated, [i]enraged[/i], bellows. One year had passed since the small demons had paid a visit at Velocity's behest. They had returned, seeking revenge against the ones who had dared to keep them from their prize all that time ago.

One was broken away from the pack, luring a small band of the warriors away, attempting to create holes in their defense. Specific targets were wanted, any distraction would do. Anything to scatter the group, anything to single out the ones whom they were really after, anything to -

Its shriek was cut short as its throat was ripped open by the myriad tines that had suddenly appeared in front of it, staking it. The group that had followed it stopped hard in their tracks, each body nearly piling into the other. Standing before them was Lacie herself, visibly nonchalant; yet the air of anger, of raw power, was clearly felt by those who had witnessed it.

"You did not belong here the year before. You do not belong here now. Begone." With a violent jerk of her neck, the then dead beast was thrown carelessly to the side, nothing more than a mangled mess on the forest floor. Turning her head to the still stunned group, she scanned the crowd, seeing both strangers and familiars in its midst.

War was the great divider, yet also the great uniter, she mused.

With nothing more than a nod, she raced past to the ones still fighting atop the hill - Iaurdagnire's hill. Still more strangers and familiars, their scents mixing and demixing as the battle raged on. Several the demons who remained took notice of her presence.

"You remember." She plainly stated as a few began to attempt to scatter again. But she was no fool - a predator against another predator was as even a match as one could get. Instead of breaking up the group again, they found themselves caught within her jaws and tines, either killed immediately, or thrown back towards the group. She reminded herself that it was not just her that time, as it had been the year before.

Nearly everyone was here. For once, she was not alone. She would be fair - and grateful - and give them their share of filthy flesh.

This way and that she darted, cutting them off, herding them back or killing them herself. They were stronger, more determined, she noted. But so was she, and everyone else present. They would not, [i]could not[/i], falter.

It was just her home, it was [i]their[/i] home. Iaurdagnire's home.

She, they, wanted him back. They would stop at nothing to ensure he'd return to an elated welcoming far beyond what most souls would ever experience. The world would right itself, and all would be well again.

That was what she told herself, even as a few of the demons managed to grab her, mark her, and did that simply [i]infuriate[/i] her. The others helped pull the small predators off of her - those that couldn't were crushed against rocks, trees, whatever was nearby. She was in pain, certainly, but she clenched her jaw and continued onwards.

One stubborn henchman practically danced circles, mocking,  purring at the then exhausted group. With one final effort, the rush was made. The demon attempted a fake out, only to slam into Lacie's front leg, violently kicked backwards into the waiting tines and hooves of the entourage.

There was a collective sigh of relief amoung the group as several collapsed onto the ground, aid rushing to them immediately. Instead of staying, she found herself venturing away, leaning against a tree before slumping downwards. She stretched her body out, the danger passed.

"There will be more tomorrow," she sourly noted, suddenly realizing someone had taken a spot alongside her. Lazily glancing up, her ears pricked forward in surprise.

[i]Illrose.[/i]

She had not expected the dragon doe to seek her out, but she found herself forcing herself to crawl closer, slamming her head tiredly into the ground as her body made contact with the other. She smiled weakly, grateful for the company, mood perked.

Despite...

[i]This sick strange darkness is creeping on...[/i][/size]</div></center>

[center][size=10][i]"Recalling days of sadness, memories haunt me.  Recalling days of happiness, I haunt my memories."[/i]
- Robert Brault[/size]

[b]Part II - "Mirror, Mirror"
March 30th, 2013[/b][/center]
<center><div style="width:600px; height:300px; overflow:auto; background:#231b17; border: none; text-align:justify; padding:10px; font: 10px ; letter-spacing: 0pt; Float: center;">[size=10][i]6:45pm[/i]
"All the ugly things stand in a row, yes yes.
We will not fail this time, yes yes.
[i]The Fortress shall crumble, yes yes.[/i]"

Hoofbeats, pacing, anticipating, were dulled by the soft earth of the forest floor. Atop the hill, figures stood tall - in the fog that had arrived overnight, they appeared as monsters, nightmares incarnate.

Only the [i]true[/i] monsters had yet to arrive, and ones upon the hill were the loyal warriors of the previous night. Then they had guarded themselves against Velocity's wrath, and they were expecting nothing less.

Glowing brilliantly against the fog, as if competing with the light of her own name and the others, Lacie's monarch markings could have scorched anyone who dared to touch them. Those who ventured near kept a respectable distance, as her eyes scanned the horizon, further and out, as if she wanted her eyes to traverse the forest in its entirety. Here and there, she taunted to no one in particular, frustrated groans reverberating in her throat. A few others did much the same, impatient, wanting the inevitable to happen already. They would not be caught off guard like they were last time. They were waiting, they were ready, they would not -

A surprised bellow came from close behind her, and she turned to see a small buck stagger before bracing himself still. Before him, a large, hulking figure lay motionless. Lacie craned her neck forward, wanting to identify it.

It wasn't until the scent of blood slammed into her senses that the familiarity was known, and had it not been for her own stubbornness, she would have collapsed onto the ground.

"No, no, no..." She stammered, a tentative step forward taken. In front of her was Iaurdagnire himself, a crumpled mess, blood slowly gushing from a wound in his chest. Time felt as it had stood still, memories flickering.

[i]Something told her that something dreadful had happened. The hill had been torn apart, as if a colossal battle had taken place. Blood and torn earth was all that remained, save for a massive crack in the ground. As she stepped forward to examine it, she found it to be an empty abyss. There was no bottom to be found.

What frightened her most were the scents left behind. The blood was a mixture of Iaurdagnire's and Ephire's, but there was nothing to indicate anyone else.

They were friends, right? Friends wouldn't try to kill friends, [b]right?[/b] Her naivety cried to her, begging for the answers - answers that she did not possess.

She noticed tracks leading away from the sight - Ephire's blood was the blood splatter found in each print, and without hesitation, she dashed off, following the trail.

She had someone to find, and answers to obtain.[/i]

She wanted to run. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry.

Stay away, stay away, the naivety cried again, but she ignored it. Each footfall towards him felt heavy, as if the last of her strength had been siphoned the instant she recognized him. The small buck watched her cautiously, but left her alone. When she finally reached the elk's broken form, her carefully lowered her body, nuzzling the side of his cheek.

"What happened to you?" She choked, her form visibly trembling. She wanted to shake him awake, to scream at him, to demand the answers that alluded her the whole damn year. But he didn't respond to her simple touch, she knew he was not to wake yet. The blood was still pooling under his chest, but she stepped back.

He was too stubborn to die, she knew. Otherwise, he would have died already.

Nodding to his still form once, she walked back to her position. Iaurdagnire's unplanned arrival further pushed her will to fight forwards more. She was ready. They were ready.

Hisses and snaps cut through the foggy air, as if they had timed the whole thing. Lacie stopped dead as none other than Ephire flew past her, and she caught the sight of the demons again, the moose hot on their trail. She quickly followed suit, employing the previous night's tactics - cutting them off, herding them back to the group.

But it wasn't until she heard a distress call from back on the hill that she realized what was going on.

A small group had formed a circle around Iaurdagnire's body, antlers lowered, as a small pack of the demons approached. She didn't even need to see how their eyes were fixated on the blood to know.

Without looking back - there were plenty of others who could do the job - she dashed back towards Iaurdagnire and his small group of guardians. Crashing headfirst into the demons, she scattered them, threw them.

"Fuck off," she hissed between clenched teeth, before noticing that more had arrived.

It was going to be a long night, she silently, half jokingly, complained to herself.

Their numbers had increased. They were more tactile, yet the soldiers clearly had them scrambling as well. With each attempt at Iaurdagnire's life, there was an equal death at the hands of the ones guarding the body. Lacie's mind was caught in the chaos, but it was an orderly chaos, one that instinct could react to without hesitation. Hooves crushed heads, antlers swept away leftovers, teeth forced themselves to tolerate the awful taste of the enemy's flesh. The others remained with her, aiding her, aiding their fortress. He was the reason most of them were there. He was the reason most of them were willing to give their all.

In a brief lull, she contemplated. She herself was nothing more than a simple entity, on the verge of fading. Bonds had deteriorated and severed, only a few remaining. It had only been a few nights ago that she had nearly solidified the decision to leave, whether through death or some escape, and yet she was still [i]there[/i], protecting someone that she thought for sure would have never come back.

Someone that she thought was not going to be the same when he woke up.

Someone that she thought was not going to aid her sense of worth any further.

Someone that she thought could never help her, save her aga-

[i]"It wasn't even my fault!" she wailed into his chest, her legs buckled beneath her. She had all she could do to keep from ramming her head into his solid form, and instead chose to kick up the ground beneath her. She continued to tantrum, her heart ripped from its core, bleeding sorrow as she sobbed and sobbed. And he simply remained there, watching her, unsure of what exactly to do.

She was certain then that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore. She was too much trouble, too much of a handful, too much of a [b]responsibility[/b], to keep around. She'd lose him like she lost her brother, and if that happened, she'd die for su-

There was a loud thud from in front of her, and between hiccups, she lifted her head to see, through tear blurred eyes, that he had lowered his head. His impressive antlers jutted outwards, keeping her in, and everything else out.

He was protecting her. He had chosen to stay. He had chosen to help, in some way.

Her bottom jaw trembled as she tried to talk, only to choke. Instead, she buried her head in his chest, still hiccuping, as she, after a time, had been lulled to sleep.

[b]Thank you...[/b][/i]

It wasn't until the fight had kicked up again, and more bodies were running and flying, that she realized she had been crying then. It was a memory, nothing else, but it was an [i]important memory[/i], and she held onto it fiercely as more of the demons attempted to challenge her and the small band.

And yet another lull happened, and her mind kicked up something else...

[i]It was a chilly winter morning, and he was by himself on that very hill. Her striped form cautiously approached - no one here was prey, but how was she to know if they knew that? Her ears pricked forward, noting his silence. Her voice gently called out.

"Hey you. Mind if I sit?" The small smile that had creased her small fell immediately when he turned to her. It was as if he was looking past her, as if she were a monster, and he couldn't bear to lay eyes on her in disgust.

"You look cold." There was no sense of care in his voice. It was as if he was nearly choking on what he was saying. Without another word, she tore off through the forest, returning to her old home that was the playground.

He hated her, but for what? She tried to reason it out, but her fragile heart taunted her, again and again.

He hates you, you know.[/i]

"No!" She spat, startling everyone. Her ears pinned back in apology, before she - hesitantly - glanced down at [i]his[/i] body once more.

[i]"...Could you show it to me?"

It had been a few weeks since he supposed rejection of her, and yet there she was, chatting with him as if nothing had ever happened. She was too forgiving, she realized then. But then again, if she had remained from him afterwards, perhaps she would have lost nearly everything.

She was too reliant on everyone, especially him, she also realized then. She had to learn to be independent, she had to learn to only care for herself, that no one else but her matte-

"Hmm...sure!" She replied, darting up a tree, and leaping back down, engulfed in light. The small antelope was then a thylacine, and, as if he were a child in a candy store, he looked her over. He was curious, perhaps impressed? She couldn't help but laugh, and it was a genuine laugh, it was a [b]happy[/b] laugh.

And yet...

[b]Why am I so weak?[/b][/i]

She was crying again, and that mentally drove her up a wall. Every friendship, every kinship, provided great happiness, but an equal sadness. She could not find her rhythm, her own sense of peace, of self worth and yet...

"They're back! Get ready!" A voice boomed, and without hesitation, she attacked the demons as they returned. In that moment, nothing mattered except to protect what was dear to her.

She would protect her [i]friend[/i], no matter the cost.

Friendships, families, were never perfect, she had long since discovered, and it was with that knowledge that she and the others found themselves victorious as the last stubborn creature finally fell. Yet, as the night before, she took off from the group, hunkering down beneath a tree, curling herself up.

She was more bloodied and bruised then. Then she finally looked like she had been involved in a fight of some sort. But she felt satisfied. Iaurdagnire was safe. Her [i]friend[/i] was safe.

But, she noted, as she succumbed to sleep,

[i]This sick strange darkness is creeping on...[/i][/size]</div></center>

[center][size=10][i]"A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world."[/i]
- Leo Buscaglia[/size]

[b]Part III - "From Shadows"
March 31st, 2013[/b][/center]
<center><div style="width:600px; height:300px; overflow:auto; background:#231b17; border: none; text-align:justify; padding:10px; font: 10px ; letter-spacing: 0pt; Float: center;">[size=10][i]12:00am[/i]
The past few days had all been the same.

Kill this, kill that, protect this, protect that.

Roars and shrieks ripped apart the air surrounding the hill. Hooves, tines, falling bodies scraped the earth, peeling it layer by layer, as if they could open the gates to another world.

The demons had returned again, and the group had taken position again. No rest for the weary, they all mused, only a few fresh faces joining the fray.

Iaurdagnire remained still, the ground around him saturated in his blood as his chest's heaving grew weaker and weaker. He was dying, they all knew, but they couldn't give up then. It was far too late to even think of it.

Beside him, a glow of light was visible, bright against the choking fog. Through the light, the small form that was Crybaby, the Fallen Angel, nestled close, offering what energy he had left to offer life to the giant.

Lacie kept an eye and ear tuned to them constantly as she continued in her struggle, lacking the vitality of the previous days. Her fur and skin had been torn further, her tines were nearly fully red with blood, and her body throbbed as the pain crashed into her full tilt, wave after wave.

A pair of demons had taken notice to her ailing, surrounding her on both of her front sides. Their hisses and snaps infuriated her, and with a near deafening bellow, she managed to toss them away from her as they charged.

But the damage was done. She staggered, forcing herself to prop up against a tree to maintain her stance. Several others were beginning to do the same, and she snarled in frustration, kicking back defiantly as another hellspawn had found her leg, grasping it tight.

"Don't you fucking dare give up now," She spat in Iaurdagnire's direction, not so much angry with him as she was at her own weakness. Pushing herself away from the tree, she pulled back to the tight circle surrounding Crybaby and Iaurdagnire. It would offer a small bit of rest, enough, she hoped, to be able to go after the minions as opposed to waiting for them.

[i]12:30am[/i]
The witching hour had long passed, but Hell was not to be outdone.

The ones who had only recently arrived were the ones who then carried the biggest burden. It would be their strength that determined the outcome. The rest could only follow as best they could, their hearts intent on finishing what was started, despite their bodies wanting nothing more than to give out.

Crybaby flinched, startling Lacie, as she turned to look at him. He was trembling, though she was also quick to note that Iaurdagnire's breathing was more stable. A demon leaped from above, only to find itself trapped in her tines, tossed aside without regard.

"You can do it," She whispered to the small buck, "Hang in there."

[i]1:30am[/i]
A leg twitched.

Lacie's never wavering glance caught it.

The demon's numbers had dwindled considerably, the group's moral spiking considerably. [i]Only a few more, just a few more.[/i] They all thought. [i]We can do this![/i]

Instead of scattering, of trying to split the group up, the demons gathered close together. It was a last ditch effort as the large mass rushed straight ahead.

Battle stances were taken. Smirks were present on nearly every face.

[i]It's over.[/i]

The only shrieks that could be heard were the ones of the dying hellspawn as they were gored, mauled, and trampled. The front wall was more than enough, as the smaller herd huddled around Iaurdagnire watched on, triumphant.

A leg swung, as if the body intended to rise.

Lacie fully turned her head, in time to witness a hulking form pick itself up from the ground, its mass almost cutting through the fog. She did not even notice that everyone else had done the same, widened eyes, dropped jaws.

Iaurdagnire had finally woken up.

He was alive, standing before them. Crybaby also rose, though his legs were wobbling, his efforts having strained his entire body. He immediately collapsed to the ground again. Iaurdagnire nosed him gently, nodding, as if there had been a silent communication between them.

He carefully stepped away from the angel, and the group of soldiers - friends, family, adversaries even - surrounded him as relief washed over all.

Lacie, true to form, remained toward the rear of the group - Iarudagnire's awakening seemed to halt the world in its entirety, yet the adrenaline still flooding her body caused it to shake. It was hard for her to describe exactly how she felt - relieved, ecstatic, yet melancholy, and the feeling of being out of place fastened her to her spot. Even as his eyes briefly looked at her as he surveyed the crowd, she kept her head low, unsure of what to say, unsure of what to do.

Iaurdagnire himself seemed unsure of what to say, she felt. Gratitude of such a scale was hard to communicate, and as his form took off, disappearing into the blanketing fog, she knew there would always be next time to properly converse.

[i]![/i]

She stumbled, propping herself up against a nearby tree. [i]The war is over,[/i] her body seemed to say. [i]Now you must rest.[/i]

Several deer started walking through the group - offering help, herbs, anything to heal. With a final push of her own strength, Lacie fled, wanting nothing other than solitude. Time had worn her spirit, her bonds with others, to the point where being solitary was routine, and it was almost preferred over crowds. No matter how much loneliness tugged at her heartstrings, then it was all she wanted, [i]just give me silence love, nothing but silence.[/i]

In the heart of the Birch, she collapsed, not sure if anyone followed her or not. At that point, she did not care.

Sleep would be all she needed, and as she curled herself tight in an attempt to avoid detection, she realized [i]this sick strange darkness is fading on...[/i][/size]</div></center>

[center][b]Pretty Pictures In A Frame
Screenshots[/b][/center]
<center><div style="width:600px; height:300px; overflow:auto; background:#231b17; border: none; text-align:justify; padding:10px; font: 10px ; letter-spacing: 0pt; Float: center;">[size=10]All screencaps are from Part 2.

[i]Calm before the storm;[/i] [url=http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/8993/dag1.png]x[/url]
[i]Waiting, searching;[/i] [url=http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/4301/dag2.png]x[/url][url=http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/3293/dag3.png]x[/url][url=http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/3807/dag4t.png]x[/url][url=http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/2826/dag5.png]x[/url][url=http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/9379/dag6.png]x[/url]
[i]We'll start a revolution and bring them to their knees;[/i] [url=http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/6288/dag7.png]x[/url][url=http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7227/dag8.png]x[/url][url=http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/5922/dag9.png]x[/url][url=http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/2456/dag10.png]x[/url][url=http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/4711/dag11.png]x[/url][url=http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/4009/dag12.png]x[/url][url=http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5749/dag13.png]x[/url][url=http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/4326/dag14.png]x[/url][url=http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7659/dag15.png]x[/url][url=http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/3094/dag16.png]x[/url][url=http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/6733/dag19.png]x[/url][url=http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/3593/dag20.png]x[/url][url=http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/8809/dag21.png]x[/url]
[i]So a word to the wise "Don't fuck with us.";[/i] [url=http://img818.imageshack.us/img818/8852/dag17.png]x[/url][url=http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/1899/dag18.png]x[/url][url=http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2912/dag22.png]x[/url][url=http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6356/dag23.png]x[/url][url=http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/5990/dag24.png]x[/url][url=http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/6079/dag25.png]x[/url][/size]</div></center>