his laugh was low and dark, a pointed look travelling from her flash of teeth to her paws. sharp and wicked, dangerous lines and beauty and he did not care if she shredded his flesh and left him to bleed out. "yes, they are. we can fell our enemies back to back, then." the very notion gave him a swell of longing -- he could picture them surrounded, protecting their backs, a force to be reckoned with. if you give me your heart i will tear it from your chest; "good." take it, he had no use for it. it was old and beaten and a husk of what it had once been. his heart was nothing to him but a vessel to keep him alive -- but for her? for her he felt the feeble beat against his breast at the promise of the destruction she might rain down on him. "i have no use for it, so take it," he purred, stepping closer, "i am fit." he did not hesitate, did not balk nor shy from the promises of ruin; this is what he lived for.

image by moogle, code by koi

While soft at the knees in front of him, Erna was wary nonetheless. While the image of them fighting back to back was more than enticing, she couldn't trust this man completely. Men were wild creatures, with no restraints and grandiose pride. At one second he could promise you the world, the next he could stab you in the back. But weren't they all this way, man or woman? My enemies are many. She warned, watching his response. The Rikes' enemy was most likely the whole valley at this point.

Good, he says, offering his beating heart on a silver platter for her. She couldn't help but feel flattered, the false confidence in her chest swelling with every promise of his. This attention was everything she had ever wanted and as wary as she may be, the Rike woman latched onto it like a drowning insect in a sea storm. She had been deprived of any sort of recognition the moment she left the womb and now Alaric was giving her the spotlight. He had given her a taste and now she was going to keep on coming back.

He proclaims he will survive her, but she wonders if that is true. The distance between them closes, and she cuts more of it with a single step. I will be the judge of that. She grins wolfishly, her face dangerously close to his. And then she turns. But my loyalty lays with the Rike, she says now, serious. Had he heard of them? She doubted, by the reaction the first time she mentioned her name. They are my kin, and will be until the day I lay bloody on the battlefield. For them, I fight and for them I will die. He ought to know and remember that.

_{ART — CODE}

he wonders, briefly, who this woman is to have so many enemies. to state her name again, as if he might recognize it, as if he might turn and run from the very sound of it on her lips. he does not, would not; alaric did not care what she did as long as she warmed his bed at night. simple man that he was. "then i will fight them, too, and wear the scars with pride." he relished the thought of battle, of seeing them fall beneath him like grains of sand in the desert. alaric would not shy from the fight and would surrender flesh and blood with no hesitation. death is a fact of life and often came sooner for the hardened warriors such as themselves, but he did not like to think of her body on the battlefield. by now he was numb to loss and yet... his lip curled and a part of him wanted to pin her beneath him now and make her stay away, stay safe. it would be no different than crushing her spirit, though, and would steal from her the very thing that he was drawn to. "i would expect no less. and when our children join the fray," when, not if, because he was a bold and shameless creature, "i would ask for nothing more than your life should it come to it, to keep them safe." despite all his misogyny and sexism and brutality he was, surprisingly, a decent father. his worth lay in his legacy, and alaric was determined to be invaluable.

image by moogle, code by koi

Ah, for all their pride and strength men were quick to rush to battle at the sight of a plump female body. It amused her and she let out a dry chuckle. Then you will fight the entire valley, her gaze glimmered with mischief. Still, she was charmed by his pledge. She never shied away from a fight, and she would want nothing less than that in her partner.

The mention of children left his lips, but there was no if. He was confident in that as he was confident in everything else he did. She watched him with a hidden curiosity. Erna had never thought of growing whelps in her womb, but the thought was not an unwelcome one. She was instinctively open to it, but also her upbringing was dictating that openness. Women were here not only to fight, but to breed and carry the youth into this world. It was her duty just as much as it was her duty to eradicate the Sigrun rats. They will crawl out of me, they will be my blood and I would die for them. She states bluntly.

_{ART — CODE}

"then i will fight the entire valley," he repeated, but his tone was certain, bold, and as confident as everything else that he did. another step, their breaths mingling, and all the talk of battle had his loins tightening with need. if there was no blood to spill then there would be something else -- he would not leave her until they were both satisfied. his voice pitched low and he took another step, seeking to press in to her now, his lips by her ear. "and when you cannot fight, when you are heavy with our passion, i will keep your enemies at bay with my life if i must." there is nothing more precious than a wife with child, and alaric has every intention of making her his wife. in the wake of his words he seek to snag her with his teeth, behind aforementioned ear, a little love nibble of emphasis.

image by moogle, code by koi

She felt his warm breath caress her scarred face, bringing a shiver down her spine. Erna's lust for this man was never-ending, her need to be beneath him intensifying with every second passed. She couldn't tell what exactly it was that drew her to him - was it lust, only? Was it his charm? His strong body? The fact that he was giving her starved mind just the drug that she yearned for? Hmm? For a claim so big, you need to have your supporters, your kingdom. She prodded gently, unwilling to bash his pride lest Alaric bashed her for her feminine insolence. Erna doubted he was the head of pride, even if he reeked of one. If he was a King, he would've boasted about it already. No doubt about it, she thought.

He pressed into her and she almost melted to the ground. The warmth began to overtake her body. Erna pressed into him, his lips offering promises of protection at the weakest point in a woman's life. Good, she said. The nibble on her ear left her in a frenzy, a low growl mixed with a purr escaping her throat. She sought to to press her head forcefully into his mane, to take in his scent.

_{ART — CODE}

A kingdom. He knew it was the very thing he needed, he knew it was what he must do. Not only for her but for their future, their offspring. For Esmeree, whom he had promised to give the world to. He does not think of her now, but he feels the same ache for power that he had with her. "I will take one," he murmured, "if you are at my side when I do." He all but snarled the words, yearning for the day that loomed ahead of them, wanting nothing more than to rule with his women beneath him again. And those that would not submit? Well, he had his ways... @Erna pressed in to him and their meeting rose to a new height, a different need. All of the talk had him ready, growing all the more needy as they spun the story of their future. He shifted to sling an arm over her shoulders, to press her down beneath him with a low growl. He would take her, now, with visions of glory and might racing through his mind. "Now," he demanded, his words an echo of the first time, but there was no question in his tone. His teeth flashed to her nape, an urgency to his touch as his need rose to new heights. There was no place for argument -- she was his and he would make sure she knew that.

image by moogle, code by koi

I will take one, he vows, but with an ultimatum: if she stood by his side. Oh, he knew how to play her strings so well! She rode on the high with him, the promises of bloodshed on the battlefield, chants of victory, and many sleepless nights of celebration were turning her engine on more than anything else ever could. She could envision them fighting shoulder to shoulder, and then feasting after an exhausting battle.

She did not understand this valley's ways, but she knew well that a kingdom must fall and they must rise if they were to be successful in defeating the Sigrun. Thus, she was going to fight for their titles and abide by their traditions for the time being. Defeat them at their own game.

Alaric's scent filled her lungs like an expensive drug, the low rumble of his chest and the paw pressing her beneath him was meaningless. She bent at her own will, succumbing to the ground - ripe and ready for the taking.

fade to black

_{ART — CODE}

soon they would talk, and plan, and scheme, but now? now he is consumed by the scent of her desire, filling the air to match his own. the watering hole is busy around them, the prey all but uncaring about the two lovers, giving them their own living privacy screen. not that he cared for such things -- he would take her in front of the whole damn world if he could. he wanted them all to know that she was his, that they were a force unstoppable. he wanted them to see the chaos looming, rising, and watch the helplessness when they realized it could not be stopped. they could not be stopped. he growled as he grabbed her by the flesh, teeth pricking skin just enough to spill her blood on to his tongue. his growl shifted to something darker and more possessive as he pressed his chest against her back and claimed her again. -fade to black-

image by moogle, code by koi