[Lady of the Night]

MONSTERS OF THE NIGHT
Chapter Two
Caries

The beast remains hidden, lurking through the shadows of Alteron’s forests. But it leaves its mark: large hoofprints can be found in different places after each night. Bark from some of the trees has been rubbed away, leaving broken pieces and splinters littered on the ground. Wherever there are tracks, there is blood. The problem seems to be getting worse with each passing night.

Two small herds of deer emerge. A group of three - two does and one stag -  stand amongst the battered flowers of the rose garden. Four more can be found - two does and two stags this time - standing around the edge of Lake Imbrium. From a passing glance, one could mistake them as normal; but stare long enough and no one can ignore the silver muck that stains and sticks to their fur like glue. Perhaps, more worryingly, is that their eyes are black as the void and appears to be bleeding down their cheeks. The same black blood also runs out from their noses and their mouths.

The group in the garden appear content with tearing up the roses and leaving them thrown to the ground, stomping the remains. Those by the lake, however, appear to be bellowing towards something. One of the stags stands in the water itself, and the mixtures of blood ooze out into the lake. They all appear to be focused on the Isles of Crom, and with good reason.

For within the shadows of the trees, the many eyes of the beast stare back - endless black with white pupils.

(The moment someone notices, it will be on the move).

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There are THREE events for Alteron:
Corrupted deer group in the Rose Garden.
Corrupted deer group by Lake Imbrium.
Monster sighting at the Isles of Crom.

Information about the monster sighting and the corrupted creatures can be found in the general thread - HERE

[Sarissa]

Sarissa had been on edge every night ever since the discovery of the mysterious blood, her father warning her to stay within her den at night to keep her safe. At first she didn't understand. She had heard the howls before and was nothing but a little unsettled, yet now she found herself terrified as they came closer and closer with each night's passing.

Tracks and blood revealed themselves, the putrid smell almost overwhelming the sweet scent of roses she so dearly loved. Sarissa huddled into her den, unable to sleep as eyes bulged from their sockets, ears straining on her head as she listened to coming foot steps. Heart pounded against her breast. She was surprised it did not burst from her chest and run away. Muscles quivered and teeth chattered, a sign of true fear and anxiety, but even though she wished to stay hidden and pray to whatever God that these beasts would disappear, a curiosity was growing.

It took hours for her (or what seemed like it) to muster the courage to inch her way quietly to the entrance of her domain. There she could witness several deer tear into the garden with no remorse. Hooves cutting thorned vines and petals burst into the air. The night was dark, but from what she could see with wide eyes, sparks of silver glistened from their coats and their eyes were pitch black that seemed so vacant. Blood oozed from nose and throat, but it wasn't long before Sarissa pulled herself back and plastered herself against the wall as far as she could muster. Breath oozed words, perhaps a prayer or begging that they wouldn't find her.

✦ ✦ Speech Text ✦ ✦

[Miasma]

  Miasma does not know fear, but jealousy, hunger, desolation and rage. She doesn't know how to run, except after something. The screams in the night sing her to sleep like a thunderstorm lullaby, curled comfortably beneath a badger pelt. She is safe in that space between the rocks, with her assortment of half-organized bones, furs on the floor, a ribcage jammed in the doorway she'd need to disassemble to fit inside. Rarely, however, does she sleep there; she suspects Sarissa finds the smell distasteful-- although it's never bothered the dire.

Never before. That's worse outside, though.

  Fear is learned, or rather, what to be afraid of. Everything is frightening to a child, strange and new: normalcy is only what they are accustomed to. It's taught. Miasma never learned how to be scared. Though the cries of infected animals are enticing, she'd rather pluck a pair of rabbits for a far more satisfying midnight snack-- until she realizes those diseased creatures have her very same destination in mind.

  Aggression and agility are her strong suits: ears pinned back as she sprints, knows the way without following the screams, eyes welling up in anger and the noxious stench of them. "Hey!" she shouts just as they come into view, shadows against the tangled pattern of stems that stretch into the sky. "HEY!!"

  When one turns after her, she almost thinks they don't have eyes-- but it doesn't matter. When she's done, they won't. It's hard to stop at the momentum she's accrued, so she crashes into the stag's side, kicks away while it stumbles, jerks back and tries to dislodge it's antlers. "Get the fuck away from her!!" No hesitation, as she turns to take hold of a doe's hind-leg, pull until she has its entire attention, or breaks the limb. Either way.

Anything.

[althea]

Often, Thea enjoyed a quick walk in the dark before she decided to tuck herself away for the night. The walk soothed her nerves, especially with the whole blood business going on and rumors about a creature lurking in Alteron's territory being spoken in whispers. It set her on edge, leaving her anxious and paranoid and too preoccupied with her surroundings to try and pay attention to what task she might be doing.

She stepped carefully through the darkening forest, violet eyes catching on the looming mountains in the near distance. However, the wolf paused midstep at the sounds of yelling, tilting her pale features curiously. She listened, for a moment, before increasing her pace into a jog, traveling in the direction of the source of the yelling and sounds of... a scuffle, perhaps? She was usually the sort to avoid things like this, finding that, from previous experiences, it was best to stay out of issues that did not include her. But this didn't sound like a regular scuffle, something that intrigued Althea.

At first, she could smell roses, but the scent was quickly overwhelmed with the putrid odor that permeated some parts of Alteron's territory. The blood. Alarmed and almost worried for those in the gardens that might be fighting something, Thea hurried forward. It wasn't long until she saw the deer, black blood weeping from their noses and mouths, staining their blind eyes obsidian as they tore into the roses with reckless abandon. A gray wolf she wasn't familiar with was yelling, latching onto one doe's leg and pulling.

For a moment, she was still. She was no fighter, not yet. She had never been taught nor instructed on how to cause damage to her enemies, only using skills she had taught herself or modified hunting moves she had accumulated. Never had she taken a life, though she had tasted the blood of fellow wolves on her teeth, albeit, never without her blood on theirs. No, she was not a fighter. Not in the slightest.

But a hunter? Oh, that she was. She knew the blood of prairie beasts and forest fauna, had brought them down quickly with her sharp teeth piercing their hides. Deer was no unfamiliar prey, although the infected sort was something new. Surely, it wouldn't be too hard to kill.

The moment in which she was frozen did not last long because she was quickly moving, eyes on the buck. The other wolf, the gray one, would be gored by the infected buck if he wasn't dealt with while Miasma held fast to the doe's leg. The other doe still tore at the flowers to Thea's knowledge, though even if she joined the fight a simple doe was not hard to handle as long as she did not kick out her legs. But the buck was a serious issue, one with very pointy antlers that were aimed at Miasma.

That is until Althea hurled herself at it, jaws splayed out to grasp the flesh of the buck's shoulder or chest so that she might offset its balance and prevent it from charging Miasma while she was preoccupied. But Thea was not strong enough to hold the buck down for long despite her harsh treatment of it. Even as she held its neck and weighed it down, the buck thrashed, mouth and nose leaking black blood onto the golden wolf's pelt as she tried to slow it down from causing any more damage, trying to regain her footing as she did.