<<I don't belong to you yet...]]

[kiri]

White coat glimmered across the red streaked desert. It was hot. Too hot. The pelt was too heavy, but he liked it this way. Timid for a well-seasoned villain, this pup was going through his first test. Going through the Demona. He needed to get to the Glacier. Or somewhere else. Cooler. But first...

It wasn't that he intentionally kept in this hellish land. As far as he went, as long as he traveled, he could see no more than demonic desert. If it weren't for his name, he would've been afraid. A pup by the name of Death would be welcome to any shelter in the Demona, neh? Even so, each step dragged across the sand sent chills up his spine and a dragging urge to slow down and stop. But it was too hot to stop. He had to walk forward. Keep the breeze going.

Make it snow, he urged himself. But he was too tired, and he was all but a pup! The little wolf couldn't have been expected to make a snowstorm in the first try. His best efforts only amounted to about five snowflakes, anyway. Tears welled up from the black, swirling eyes and he blinked them away. The pain in his immature paws was too much. He couldn't stop... he couldn't...

Yes he could. Just for a moment... just for a moment...

I don't belong to you yet, Demona, was his last thought as he drifted off into a small nap.

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[kiyo]

Yoko, will you keep it coming!₁

I'm sorry, Rokone, I can't! . . .₂

. . .₁

Please don't look at me like that . . .₂

Fine. The larger puppy turned away from the flustered younger, marching on through the mirage-laden desert. Yoko hesitated before tripping after his older brother, looking around nervously as he went. A gust of untamed wind forced a faceful of sand into the juvenile's curious features. Coughing and spluttering, Yoko regurgitated all of the red that had been forced into his open mouth, spitting out the last of it finally and running to catch up with Aerokone.

The latter was panting, his mouth hanging open to let a parched pink tongue hang out. Without Yoko's summoned breezes it was hard going, and without thinking the puppy found himself wishing their father was there, with his matured skill. Shaking his head helped to force the ridiculous thought from his proud little head, and with resolution the Ribeyako born and bred toiled on through the cracked, dry earth. The panting of Yoko behind him a constant reminder of time and energy as it seeped away into the dusty cracks beneath their paws.

Then, when it seemed that he could not go on for a moment more, Rokone look up with heavy eyes and squinted at the distant, foggy horizon. There was a shape. Yoko was stumbling along beside his larger brother, panting heavily and quickly. Having no breath to spare, Aero pushed himself into a painful stumbling run towards the white shape. Yoko, taken by suprise inhaled sharply and stared for a moment before squeezing his eyes shut and breaking into an agonizing, shambling trot.

Rokone came upon the wolf first, and looked down at it with scornful eyes. Not water, not meat. Just another wolf, probably about his age. Leaning over, Rokone nudged it sharply in the side with his black nose, grunting "wake up!" Standing back a bit, he turned around to call for Yoko--and found his undersized, overexerted brother collapsed a good ten yards away. Sighing in frustration, Rokone sat by the white wolf and waited for him to wake.

[kiri]

Sprawled out on the desert floor, parched white fur fell limply to the ground. He was fast asleep. Having traveled across the stupid desert for hours and hours on end, the puppy had tired himself out into a heap. His paws felt numb and he felt like he was falling into a flustered heap of fur. Sweat rolled down his head, ears flattened down into a face of frowning slumber. Death was sleepy and if he fell deeper into the ravine of sleep he was already in, it was possible he'd never climb out.

In his unconscious state he recognized two other wolves around him; one next to him, one far behind, but not much. What were they, though? Males? Females? Pups? Adults? That he couldn't tell. He slipped down each staggering cliff of sleep until he could recognize no more.

Nah, he couldn't be expected to come awake on his own. Someone'd have to hit him. Hard.

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[kiyo]

Aerokone sighed, glaring down at the white puppy. They couldn't be too far apart in age; but Aerokone had the build of his father, it showed in the long bones and potential for power in the lean frame already tested in its young age. Far behind the pair, Yoko lay in his small, insignificant self. Aero sighed, angry, and nudged the white puppy with his nose a little harder than was neccesary.

Get up, Come on! I don't have time for this. He was impatient, it showed every way you looked at it. Glaring down at the white wolf, his temper suddenly snapped and Aero lashed out, nudging the white puppy hard enough to move him across the sandy, baked red ground. It wasn't really a nudge, it was a kick.

Get up. Now. You're going to die out here if you don't.

[kiri]

...blargh.

His mind went through a heavy tumble as he was thrashed across the sand. A sigh escaped his maw as he struggled to his feet and fell once more, legs weak. His eyes were heavily closed, weight of waking tumbling over him like a wave. He felt weak. Anger flowed over him as he snapped at the other wolf.
"What the heck...! S'only a few seconds! Can't I sleep?"
His black eyes dimmed in harsh anger and his claws went out underneath him, trying to scratch the attacker. He was still half-asleep, however, and he missed from every attack he tried to make. Eventually slumping on the floor, the pup mumbled, "Go 'way..." and his eyes closed again.

Was his future sealed?

[kiyo]

Seriously, get up. Please? Aero gritted out the word, watching the white pup thrash about like some mad creature. He wasn't scared at all. No, he was just pissed. Whoever this was, they had no business being so weak. Bending over, the brindled puppy sank his teeth into the smaller puppy's ruff. But they were still just puppies, and the size difference wasn't that great. Digging his paws into the arid, red soil Aero pulled back as hard as he could, pulling the slightly smaller wolf up with him so that they tumbled over backwards and landed in a heap with a thump. A rather painful thump, considering the baked hard shell of the soil.

[kiri]

He shook himself, eyes painfully bloodshot. "What's your problem?!" he snarled. Can't they just leave me alone? His tense gaze sharpened as he looked towards the groggy blur of wolf to the other side of him. "Why don't you go bother that other wolf instead? He looks a lot more fit to bother!"

His aching limbs submitted to the anger and will of his voice. "And what do you have against me, anyway?!" He was now fully awake, but spitting and maddened as a hornet would be. A snarl ripped from his throat as he swiped his gaze away and sat, looking away from his botherer.

[kiyo]

Well, for one I was trying to do you a favor because you'd die out here if you slept too long!

[/b] Aero snarled as he glared at the still form of his younger brother. A firm, irritated kick scudded the young wolf across the sand. The pale eyes snapped open, then slid shut again just as fast. With an angry sigh that came out more as a snort, Aero stomped after Yoko, seizing him by the ruff and dragging him back over. The size difference was pronounced to the extreme between the two brothers, as Yoko was exceptionally runty. By this point the vast majority of the wolves' pelts couldn't be seen through the thick, dry coating of red dust.

second, I thought that maybe you might know a way out of here. Aero panted, bristling.[/center]

[kiri]

Death blinked. His anger creased away like the ripples in a wave. "What? I thought you might be able to find a way out." His sigh aroused dust to flurry up into his nose, and he sneezed with tremendousy. With a sad frown he looked up at the other, older brother (it seemed). "So you're stuck as well?"

He stuck his nose up in the air and said with a puff of importance and a smirk, "You know, there are demon wolves in the Demona. They might just eat you up if I don't protect you. So you better treat me better." He glanced at then from his important pose. "I don't suppose your named after a key element in the Demona? I'm Death, by the way. You're probably named after something weak, like Birdy, or something. Ha!" A smile lit up the corners of his maw. "Maybe you could show me out of here." Obviously he was aiming to be a pain in the rump.

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[kiyo]

<sub>Aero snorted, tiring quickly of the taxing anger. Nevertheless, the puppy's hackles remained up, as he turned to prod his brother, shunting the undersized runt up onto his feet. We're not from here. He said; then proudly: We're from Ribeyako! We're foreigners, I bet you aren't anything half as interesting. This is Yoko, and I'm Aerokone. ^{(ayrohkohney)}


The puppy, being just a bit taller than average, was able once he puffed out his chest to look down on Death. Yoko smiled weakly, his dusty tail swaying drunkenly side-to-side once before falling back against his hind legs. But Aerokone wasn't done boasting yet, smirking widely, he turned and told Yoko to show the other puppy his 'talent.' Small face skrewed up in concentration, a small, cool gust of wind ruffled the fur of their backs.

See? Foreigners are special! Aerokone stated proudly over the sagging head of his brother.</sub>

[kiri]

His eyes narrowed at the supposed "Aerokone". "You're not all that, you know," growled Death, paws scraping against the dirt. Energy surged up from the want to show off to these pups, and a few flakes of snow fell against the dirt red. It wasn't much, he admitted, but a slightly colder atmosphere fell upon the devilish trio. His tail sagged as he glanced proudly at Aerokone. "Foreigners are dangerous," he added. "I bet you're waiting for a chance to kill me. I bet."

He twisted around, staring the other direction. Intentionally, a small puff of dust sped from his paw to the other pups' direction. Squinting his ebon eyes at the horizon, Death murmured thoughtfully, "Whas' up there, I wonder? Hopefully somewhere cooler." Without turning around, he said cooly to his rivals, "So ya say you're foreigners huh? Where'd you come from? Let's go the way you came. We can get outta here then."

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[kiyo]

_{We can't go back. Aero replied, quietly. And I really don't know which direction we came from. He shrugged, blue eyes narrowed in thoughtfullness. Suddenly the tall puppy growled his frustration and started trooping off in a random direction. Yoko looked from Death to Aero in confusion, startled by the emnity and competitiveness. The silver-blue puppy sat down firmly, face unreadable. Aero stopped, growled, and walked around in half circled, tail lashing. Then he came back and glared at the other two, silently accusing them. Of what? Who knows.}

[kiri]

He glared back at Aerokone and shrugged. "I bet you got kicked out of wherever you're from," he smirked lightly. "It's no surprise with both of your looks." He looked away and started trotting, increasing the tire in his legs. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to find some shelter and somebody who will lead me out of here!" His face scrunched up in mock pity, he looked at them. "Only demonic wolves live here. They'll accept me, I'm sure. I'm not so sure about you, though."

He smirked again, wider. A thought struck him. Without giving them time to answer, he added, "You'll need me to survive here. I control your fates. If I leave you here, you'll die." The thought of power rolled in his head. "So're you going to follow me or die?"

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ooc: well somebody's conceited.

[kiyo]

OOC: just a little bit hahaha

What?

Aerokone's face heated beneath the brindled gray fur, he growled something inaudible and started towards Death. The puppy stopped inches from the other, holding himself erect and glaring down at the slightly shorter wolf. Why should we trust you? You were dying when I found you, Death. Aero smirked, feeling just a bit of power.

I'll be able to fly before too long, how about you? Go to the glacier, there's ice there. Out here you'll just melt, wimp. He turned away from Death, strutting in front of the others. I say we go this way, and I am the only one who hasn't given out yet.

[kiri]

"Then you are a stinky poopface," he glowered at Aerokone. "And your brother is better than you. Way better. Right, uh, Yoiko? Or something like that?"
Sniffing indignantly, he swiftly turned the direction that Aero had pointed. "I say we go this way too, but not because you said it first. I was gunna say it first but you had to go ahead and blabber your death and so I didn't get a chance to say so."

His head turned and he started to strut towards the horizon, paw after paw, muscles tiring again. However, in the eyes of these rivals--no way would Death be resting again.

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