The Deafening Silence

[Cybil de Blanc]

Ever since Cyneriice Northan lost her beloved Queen, the silence - that is, the political silence - of the country has been unending. Other than a few declarations, some decisions made and some well-wishing, nothing has been heard of the Grand Council. In fact, nothing had been heard from them since Generalissimo's funeral. Was paranoia finally getting to them? Was something being plotted behind the young nation's scenes?

But the silence was shattered by another tragedy, just as suspicious as the disappearance of Queen Cybil. Once more, the crown fell, the throne left leaderless, as Queen Rosario of House de Blanc was found dead in the Royal Office one morning. She was slumped over, head on desk, deep scratches in the aged wood and all over the office. Her throat had been bitten out, as if by some sort of animal, but no one had been seen going in or out of the office. Whoever had gotten into the office, they had not forced their entry - maybe they hadn't even gotten in at all.

The murder - unsolved, unexplained, undeniably frightening to the Council - caused Cyneriice Northan to suddenly announce a temporary order of non-interventionism. No foreign aid, no meetings, no appearances - no nothing. And, as a final act, the borders to the country were closed, Cybil's decree of a haven for all thrown aside for the moment.

Darkness was hovering over Cyneriice Northan. And in another world, a wicked creature - weak from recent battle, but still plotting quietly - grinned a satisfied grin.

Edited December 21, 2009 by Cybil de Blanc

[Sarah Tintagyl]

"Dead?"

"Yes Highness. She was found dead."

Hannah let her head fall to her hands in a despairing fashion. "That country has been through so much as of late, the rest of America hasn't even tried to do anything to help them find their first queen and now the second one is dead?" She took out a handkerchief and dabbed her nose. "This has gone on long enough. I want a detachment of Lillian Guards sent over there to help in the investigation for Cybil's disappearance and this murder. No other country on Earth has such a Tintagylist leaning government and I am not about to let this chaos persist over there."

"Of course Highness, what should we tell the Northans then?"

"Tell them that the Australians have not helped enough and in the light of the Lady Protector and of Tintagylism, we are sending a small contingent of Lillian Guards to aid them in any way they see fit. Northan will be stabilized."

"I will send the message as soon as possible Majesty. Do you have the Lillians in mind?"

"Tell Commander Sangral to send her best."

"Very well."

[Cybil de Blanc]

"HAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

His wicked laughter shook the temple's interior. His image in the pool was that of a gaping wolf, the tongue lolling out as his fangs glinted in the flickering torchlight. Above his reflection, the High Priestess of the Wolf, Sylvie Bennett, grinned wickedly at her god's amusement.

"I am glad to see you are pleased, my lord," said the woman, her accent that of an Australian's. An ironic thing of fate, seeing as the Australians loved Cyneriice Northan dearly, and would do anything to protect it. "Kayleigh does her work well - I told you she knew the place from top to bottom."

"Yes, indeed," growled Fenrir happily. "She will be well rewarded when she returns to my sanctum. But what of Loki's avatars?"

"Still roaming around the Eggman Empire," replied Sylvie. "Kennith said he saw them driving away from the Tintagylist camp. Hank's been wounded as you know; he's lucky he didn't have his neck sliced open, after - "

Fenrir growled darkly. "Do not speak of that incident," said the upcoming god. "My temper bested me, as did my impatience. Nonetheless, are they being tracked?"

"Yes, m'lord. The vehicle has not left the sight of our best trackers."

"Excellent, Sylvie. Dahlia?"

"Dead. The Tintagylist encampment was destroyed in an explosion. Generalissimo, we believe, had something to do with it."

"She was of little use anyways. Generalissimo is not to be feared; I am in his consciousness, he is but clay in my paws. He'll never know I'm still there - I shall make sure of it. And the Australians march north, yes?"

"To stabilize the nation, m'lord - your handiwork has not escaped their notice."

"Let them go on their mission of mercy. I will get rid of them soon enough. Their intervention will make the chaos better when Kayleigh goes out hunting again."

[Subtleknifewielder]

Melissa, despite the fact that she was nervous as hell, and despite the chattering of her friends, managed to catch a little sleep. You never knew when just a little extra rest might give an advantage you didn't expect to need.

When the Queen had told Sangral to send her best, some might have expected more experienced Lillians. But perhaps the Commander had reasoned that they needed the experience. And she had said she was impressed with how well they had done....For whatever reason, she and her three friends had been picked for this assignment.

As they neared their destination, she woke from her semi-conscious state, her subconscious possibly sensing some kind of change in the atmosphere. Already she could feel the cold permeating the room, and despite the warm clothing, she shivered.

OOC: If you don't want Sarah and me involved, our apologies, and I will edit accordingly.

Edited December 22, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder

[Cybil de Blanc]

Youthful eyes watched in curiosity as the plane drew ever closer, the canine wincing and giving a slight whimper, flattening its ears at the loud screech of the engines. The massive, hulking monstrosity of a plane was almost unheard of in Cyneriice Northan, for the country was still growing, outdated as it struggled to rise among the better-off nations. As such, it captured the thing's interest, and it could not help but stare, groaning and looking worriedly down at its paws as the ground shook with the touchdown. The old air base, built by what was once Venezuela, had been taken over by the Northanics after Venezuela collapsed and made their own. After all, Queen Cybil had only rented out the land to the Venezuelans, and was in full authority to take it back whenever the need arose.

The canine's nose flared wildly as the door to the plane opened. A cold wind blew in its direction, and as it stretched out its muzzle, hundreds of new scents graced its nostrils. Dust, sand, the harsh, dry smell of Australian brush, the sweet and musky scents of foreign she-humans, the fabric softener used to wash their clothes with...all those scents, and so many else to name. All she had ever smelt were humans and harsh chemicals and tundra - never anything like that before!

Her mother had said to not go near the humans...but Ariadne couldn't help herself. Unlike the feral beast that was her lone parent, she still liked humans somewhat. Maybe it was because some of the nicer lab workers had fed her treats. Maybe it was because that, whenever they approached a town, Ariadne's tail-wagging and puppy-dog eyes sometimes prompted a bystander to feed her something yummy. Maybe it was because she was naturally optimistic, and had not been subject to the more brutal treatments her mother had, and the hint of Stockholm Syndrome Ariadne had succumbed to that made her more co-operative in the lab. Co-operative enough that, much to her mother's disgust, had some of the scientists treated her as a lab pet.

Mother won't be back for a while... thought the canine. She said it would take a while to find something good to eat. Maybe they'll have treats!

With that, Ariadne took off towards the jet, bounding across the snow at a fast pace. To the Lillians - who were currently being greeted by a few squads of Northanic soldiers - they would see, if Ariadne was spotted, a tawny and wolf-like dog, prick-eared and Great Dane-sized.

[Eggman Empire]

The Eggman Empire is saddened to see yet another tragic loss to rock Cyneriice Northan. We wish to know of your government requires anything.

----

Kintober was slumped over on his desk, his head resting on crossed arms.

"Kintober..."

"Go away." He muttered

"Aw, why the long face?" The voice taunted.

"Oh, just a few reasons." Kintober said, muffled by his desk.

"Care to enlighten an old pal?"

"Well, besides the fact my brain's become a two-way radio for an obnoxious Norse god...someone, more then likely one of Fenrir's people, ripped the throat out of Queen Rosario of Cyneriice Northan. So they're leaderless again and they have Fenrir's and your's little 'turf war' to thank for it."

"Hey, don't blame me. I never ordered a hit out on whoever that chick was. I blame you personally. If you'd let me stay in your head, I never would've had to...uh...'disappear' Cybil de Blanc and you, with my help, would've been able to keep a tighter reign on Fenrir's mongrels and kept him from introducing new players to the game!" Loki retorted cheerily.

"Trying to convince me this is my fault won't work, you sadistic, twisted $%@%$." Kintober snarled. "And once I'm finished with you and Hank, I'm going after doggie boy next."

Kintober could hear Loki's mocking chuckle. "Once I've disposed of you, I'll find Fenrir and teach him to move in on my turf. I'll be seeing you chump. Hank too. He tells me he'll mount your head on the pike right above Hannah's. Bye..." Loki's cackle echoed in Kintober's head for sometime even after he left.

-----

Somewhere, in some realm of misty blacks and grays, one God sought another. "Fenrir!" Loki called out to mist he was surrounded in. "Fenrir you lousy S.O.B. pick up! I know your out there and can here me!"

[Cybil de Blanc]

From within the mists of time, a strange trill was heard, sounding almost like a telephone from the mortal world. It went on for several seconds, as if waiting to be picked up, before a click was heard. There was the sound of a male clearing his throat, followed by what sounded like jaws snapping together.

"Hello? Hello? Is this thing on - oh, good, yes. Ahem. This is Fenrir, Wolf King and Wolf-Father, Lord of the Howling Beasts. I'm sorry, but I am unable to answer any incoming God-calls at the moment; please leave a message after the beep, courtesy of my servants from the human world recording me one. Oh, and if this is you, Father, HAH HAH! I'm catching up with you!"

*Beeeeeeeeeep....*

- = = = -

"Welcome to Cyneriice Northan Airport, m'lady," said a Northanic officer, holding her hand out to shake Sangral's hand. "My superiors personally thank you for your assistance. We have sealed off the murder scene from outside hands, and the body is still where we left it. I trust you had a safe journey, despite the winter storms?"

Edited December 25, 2009 by Cybil de Blanc

[Eggman Empire]

"Why you lousy-" Loki was about to rant before he caught himself and regained his speaking composure. "Well, well Son, I see you're still as arrogant and stupid as ever. Because, of course, only a fool would believe he could out-think, or out-trick, the GOD of deception! I'm not going to do much boasting, just this: Nyah, Nyah, my guy beat yours! Hell, mine was fighting without any help from me, and he trounced your guy, who YOU were directly operating and channeling your powers into! Guess I know how to pick a winner, huh?" Loki said mockingly.

"Since we've seen how useless both your minions were, I believe I can rest assured in knowing that I have no competition from you. Therefore, the earth is mine! Anyway, enough of the fact stating. I have to figure out which country I want to put my grand temple for people to worship me in. Bye-bye, sonny-boy!" Loki "hung up" and felt much better. Nothing like obnoxious bragging to put the pep in your step.

[Subtleknifewielder]

OOC: I dunno if Sarah wanted to participate or not too, but here we go. Sorry, couldn't post the last two days.

IC: Melissa couldn't help but stare around at the area a bit. She knew, intellectually, this was going to be cold, and that the area was going to be covered in snow. She'd even seen such areas in the mountains of Queensland, but never so much!

But she was a Lillian first and foremost, and she wasn't here to sight-see. She turned her attention to the soldiers greeting them and smiled, but not before her eye caught a canine shape hovering just out of reach, as if wary of the soldiers.

She stared at that curiously for a second, then turned and returned the greeting, introducing herself in turn. If the wolf was still there when the introductions were finished, she considered trying to call it over. It seemed a little less feral than a wild creature should be...

[Cybil de Blanc]

Ariadne was but thirty feet from the soldiers. Her tag wagged furiously, a sign of good will as she panted, eyeing the Lillians with a mix of interest and hesitation. They were all girls, so that was good; men always seemed to be rougher in nature than females. But these females were trained to attack, and hunt and kill as well, so it might not be so good to get close to them....

A few of the younger recruits had their attention held by the tawny, wolf-like canine's appearance. While the officers were discussing important matters in hushed tones, the lower-ranking, fresher recruits were whispering and pointing, some asking each other if they should try to call Ariadne over. Of course, the she-dog was thrilled to hear such, and her eyes brightened, the young creature loping over a couple of feet. One of the Lillians crouched down, offering out her hand and twiddling her fingers.

"Here puppers! Here puppy!" called the girl. Ariadne - resisting the urge to bark - immediately hurried over to see her.

[Subtleknifewielder]

Once the introductions were out of the way, Melissa couldn't help but smile at the wolf. She crouched down to Ariadne's level, holding out a hand and calling to her. She'd never had a puppy of her own...while her father did care for her, and he was around enough to show that he did care for her, one thing he hadn't done was get her a pet. They had moved around a lot at times, so maybe that had been the problem.

She could tell that despite the familiarity with humans, this creature was wary. She couldn;t blame the wolf, and simply did what she could with her body language to project a feeling of curiosity and friendliness. As such, she avoided staring directly into the wolf's eyes, as from what she understood, canines read that as a challenge to fight...

[Cybil de Blanc]

Ariadne gently licked the human's fingers, her tail still wagging, although she flattened her ears and lowered her head a little - a sign of submission. A few of the Lillians thought this to be adorable, and promptly gave a soft, "Awwwwwww," at the act. Ariadne was greeted with several pats and rubs, and she whined softly, enjoying the attention. She liked nice humans - it was such a shame her mother had been so badly mistreated by them. Then again, she had acted too angrily towards the humans, and was the farthest from the definition of "pet" that any animal could be.

"Girls!"

The young wolf-creature stiffened, just as the other Lillians did. One of the higher-ranking officers was tapping her foot irritably, giving the troops a stern look.

"Enough playing with the local fauna - we have work to do. Let's get moving, the Northanics aren't exactly in the position to wait around at the moment!"

[Subtleknifewielder]

"All right."

Melissa gave the young wolf one last scratch behind the ears before standing, exchanging a glance with Nicolette. She wondered if her friend was hoping it would follow them. In any case, they had a job to do, and so as the kindo f unofficial leader of her little group of friends, she nodded in the direction of their Northanic escort.

[Margrave]

The Margrave Khendon, supposedly dead these last five years, looked on in silence as the Hanseatic...no, the Australian Guards went past. It was so hard to keep up with all these changes...and now his own haven, his own quiet resting place, was being disturbed by the Powers. He shrugged and faded back into the tree-line, keeping his face covered.

"Wolf Father. It seems you have made another intervention...this was not wise. You draw on the eyes of the southern Gods, and more importantly, their clients. This Hannah is not a wolf; she is a lioness, and she will ravage your servants if she finds them. And the goddess of Vengeance herself is likely taking an interest in these affairs...shall I intervene on your behalf, or remain in waiting?"

[Cybil de Blanc]

From within the inner mental workings of Khendon's, Fenrir sighed deeply.

"No, no, as tempting as it may be. These little Lillians are so far from home; the Lioness may be savage, but her eyes are not Odin's or Loki's. Nemesis will be a bit of a problem...but I'm sure I can pull a few strings. Follow the Australians back to the nearest base, and stay out of sight - I'll make a few arrangements for you. When I give the word, you'll be meeting someone very important to our mission."

- = = = -

Ariadne watched as the Lillians were loaded into carriages, with wheels instead of sled runners and reindeer instead of horses. There were several of these carriages, each fitting three Lillians, and it wasn't long before everyone was loaded up. There was a sharp crack as reins were whipped, the reindeer speeding into a fast canter, heading towards the nearest town. There, the Lillians would be taken by bush plane from another nearby airport, headed for the capital of Northanholde.

The young wolf-creature whined, flattening her ears. She was quite tempted to follow...but her mother would be back with dinner soon. Still, the town wasn't too far away, so a quick trot after the Lillians couldn't hurt, right?

[Subtleknifewielder]

"So, Melissa, Do you think it'll be anything like our little adventure during training?" Nicolette whispered in her ear. The whisper was to avoid reminding Chelsea of any potentially painful memories. The girl had, well, not perhaps recovered, but she was on the road to recovery from losing her entire family. They were helping her, but they were not going to be forcing her to confront any of the memories before she was ready.

Amy was in another carriage--she'd have the whole trip there with no one she really knew to complain too. Melissa had suspected more than once that that girl wasn't happy unless whe was complaining about something. Though she usually knew when to stop, at least, which was more than could be said of others.

Melissa shook her head, having been distracted by her own thoughts. "Only a single person is dead, Nicolette. This looks like an assassination to me, plain and simple."

She leaned out over the side and looked back. When she sat straight again, there was ahint of a smile on her face.

"We're being followed, I think, by the wolf."

[Cybil de Blanc]

And followed they were. Ariadne fell back a little, not wanting to spook the reindeer with her presence, but still kept a sharp eye on the moving line of carriages. Her nostrils continued to flare as she kept onto their scent, following the path carved through the snow by the Northanic method of transportation. So filled was the air with the scent of the Lillians, she did not notice Khendon as he hid amongst the tundra shrubbery, focused instead on her potential new friends. She knew she was wandering far from the den, but it was lonely out there, and her mother could be quite a grouchy creature. Better to have happy company than wandering around with an angry old wolfess, any day!

- = = = -

The nearby town of Airport Haven - named after the jobs the nearby airport brought as Venezuelan soldiers moved into the new air base - was a half-hour from the airport itself. Ariadne had kept a steady pace as she loped along, but was still hungry - and slightly thirsty - as the carriages pulled into town. At the border of Airport Haven, she stopped moving entirely, watching as the carriages came to the "carriage station" they belonged to. Much like a taxi station or a bus station, carriages moved to and fro from the small building, reindeer kept in a large stable and pen somewhere in the back. Because automobiles were damaging to the tundra, and cumbersome on slippery roads in the wintertime, such stations were more commonly found in small towns such as the Haven.

Ariadne quietly watched as the Lillians entered the station. When they came out next, she would follow them, unless they were planning to leave the area entirely. As friendly as they seemed, Ariadne could not just leave her mother and the den, and risk getting lost somewhere in Cyneriice Northan. Not only was it obviously dangerous, but her mother would kill her if she ran away from home, unintentionally or not!

[Subtleknifewielder]

"Airport Haven? What kind of a name is that?" Amy wondered.

Nicolette rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Amy. Some of the city names where we're from must seem strange to them. Mintabie, Yellabina--they must sound like nonsense to others."

"This name actually makes a little sense. It looks like it's a waypoint for those arriving at the airport itself," Chelsea pointed out.

Nicolette finally noticed something. "Melissa, where are you going?"

"To see if I wasn't imagining it when I thought the wolf was following us. We aren't leaving here for a little while anyway, from the looks of it."

"honestly, you'd think she'd never had a pet before," Amy mused aloud as the door closed behind Melissa.

"She hasn't, Amy. She told me a little of her years growing up," Nicolette replied.

"Oh..."

----

Melissa walked out into the cold air. Despite how important it must be, this town wasn't very big.

As she stepped outside the borders of the town itself, she took in the surroundings once more. She supposed, really, this place did have its own subtle beauty, but she wouldn't want to live here.

Feeling her stomach rumble, she was reminded her last meal had been over four hours ago, and she reached into a coat pocket for something to snack on. Then she saw Ariadne, prompting a smile, and the hand left her pocket, leaving the food there for now.

[Cybil de Blanc]

Ariadne didn't have to wait long before a human approached her. Her tail wagged furiously as she saw the one who scratched her ears approached, smiling at her. So the human was friendly, after all - and she looked like she wanted to spend some time with Ariadne. After days of wandering around in the Arctic, with no company other than her overprotective mother, Ariadne was happy to oblige. Better yet, there was nobody around to think she was a ferocious monster either, which meant -

"AROOF!"

The bark was loud, splitting the air in two as Ariadne bolted forward. Again she gave a loud, "AROOF!" as she ran, followed by another, and then a few more. If one had never met Melissa before, one could say that the wolf-like dog was hers, especially with how it was bounding towards her so eagerly.

With incredible precision and speed, Ariadne took off from the ground the last few feet in front of Melissa. With no harm meant in her mind, she play-tackled the human, barrelling into her like a furry bullet. She would roll off of Melissa if the two hit the ground, sliding a few inches before getting back up. With a merry look in her eye, panting happily and with a canine grin, she would rise and step back towards the human, waiting to see what happened next.

Edited January 5, 2010 by Cybil de Blanc

[Subtleknifewielder]

The deep, penetrating bark startled her, and she might have been a little intimidated by it if she hadn't seen the wagging tail first.

Still, Melissa's eyes widened in shock as Ariadne bolted toward her at incredible speed, and she only had just enough time to relax to soften the impact before the wolf collided with her chest, and toppling her over backwards.

With a little 'oof' as the wind was knocked out of her for a brief time, Melissa kept her eyes on Ariadne as the wolf used the same momentum to roll off her.

Was that creature...smiling? She could swear that was what its expression was, and despite the bruises she knew she would develop on her chest and backside, she laughed, a clear, lilting sound that brought back happy memories.

"So, you want to play, do you?" she asked, with a smile of her own. She shifted from the sitting positon she had been in to at least put her feet under her.

[Cybil de Blanc]

Did she want to play? Did she ever! It had been far too long since Ariadne had the pleasure of playing a game with someone else. She was an adolescent, all things considered, but she still had the heart of a child, and life had not allowed her to have much of a childhood for long. The wolf barked again, and reached forward with open jaws, gently clamping down on Melissa's coat's arm. Then, probably to the surprise of the Lillian, the wolf would...attempt to pull her up?

Once Melissa was on her feet, Ariadne went into a play-bow, eyes watching the girl expectantly, tail wagging more wildly than ever.

[Subtleknifewielder]

"All right, all right," Melissa protested, though without any real heat behind it, as she stood, rubbing the sore spot she'd gotten from her landing on the ice. Despite the obvious strength in Ariadne's jaws, the wolf was clearly careful to avoid inflicting injury even with her mouth clamped firmly on Melissa's arm. "I'm up, I'm up."

She put her hands on her hips. "You do remember that you're the one that knocked me over in the first place...?" she said with a chuckle.

She bent down in a posture similar to the wolf's own, then all of a sudden turned and burst into a run. "Come on, can you catch me?"

[Cybil de Blanc]

"Come on, can you catch me?"

Probably not the best thing to ask Ariadne. Every canine has its specialty - they can show incredible brilliance or undying loyalty, be born with an iron gut or the speed of a racehorse. For Ariadne, it was her skills at jumping, especially if she could get a running start; it was almost like she was Bambi in a canine body. Well, maybe as spectacular as Bambi, but she was a powerful leaper at any rate.

With a loud, howling bark, the young wolf went into a play-chase, tawny fur rippling with the sleek, skillful movement of her body. She was mostly straight, eyes focused directly on Melissa's retreating form, giving the girl a few feet before taking on an extra burst of speed. As if Melissa was some poor reindeer's calf, the wolf would leap towards her shoulders and neck, but would not bite down; instead, she would simply slam into them if successful, and knock Melissa into a slide.

Once everything was over with, the wolf would happily sit on top of the Lillian, bending over slightly with a tilted head. Giving the girl a curious expression, she would go, "Barrw?" as if asking Melissa why she was so easy to knock down.

[Subtleknifewielder]

Being a little more prepared this time, Melissa managed to evade the first leap, but only the first--Ariadne learned quickly, and the girl found herself on the ground with a suprisingly heavy wolf on top of her, though she had managed to twist during the fall to allow her to look up, instead of getting a faceful of snow, and allowing her to see the expression on Ariadne's face.

"You're sure an intelligent ball of fur, aren't you? You learn quickly enough." She reached up to scratch behind the wolf's ear for a few seconds before wrapping an arm around her shoulders and beginning a play-fight.

--

From the station, Amy emerged. It didn't take long to figure out where Melissa had gone.

She watched the two play from what she considered a safe distance. "So, are you done playing around? It's getting near time to go--three minutes."

Edited January 6, 2010 by Subtleknifewielder

[Cybil de Blanc]

The young wolf was caught off guard by Melissa's one arm, and for a moment, was pinned to the ground. As Melissa had said, though, Ariadne was a fast learner, and quickly began to squirm, attempting to wriggle her way out of Melissa's grip like a butterfly out of a cocoon. Her legs flailed, and she constantly slammed her paws into the Lillian, attempting to push her away. Despite her desperate attempts, Ariadne was not panicking; wrestling was fun, and it strengthened her muscles. This human was great!

"Melissa!"

Ariadne paused in her struggle, abruptly lifting her head up as footsteps crunched in the snow. Not too far from them, a few of the other Lillians had split off from their group, running towards the pair of playing creatures. One of them said that it was soon time to go, and Ariadne suddenly whined; her friend was leaving!

Edited January 6, 2010 by Cybil de Blanc