[DH] Blythe || Warrior || The Behemoth
Aug 17, 2018 18:22:57 GMT -6
Blackburn, Drogo, and 3 more like this
Post by Alex on Aug 17, 2018 18:22:57 GMT -6
Basic Information
Name ※ Blythe
- Meaning ※ "kind, cheerful, carefree"
- Pronunciation ※ BLIETH
Aliases ※ The Behemoth of Caedis. Beast. Demon. Brute. Blood-Breath. He's known by a lot of names, most of them aren't all that nice.
Age ※ 5 years
Subspecies ※ Primarily Northwestern and Interior Alaskan wolf heritage
Gender ※ Male
Sexual Orientation ※ He doesn't really know. He finds himself drawn to other males, but is unaware of the true nature of his feelings. He's never experienced real romance, and doesn't know what it's supposed to feel like. All he knows is that he's supposed to be attracted to females, but despite everything, he has never felt that 'spark' with a single female. He wonders what's wrong with him and why he's like this sometimes.
Allegiance ※ Darkest Hollow
- Rank ※ Warrior
- Desired Rank ※ Warrior is fine
Physical Characteristics
Condition ※ Strong and healthy, well-fed despite having been a loner due to his very opportunistic feeding habits.
- Height ※ 60in / 153cm
- Weight ※ 288lb / 130kg
Physique ※ Blythe is so massive, it's abnormal. He stands at a towering 60 inches, well above an ordinary wolf's mere 26 to 35, thanks to the gigantism he inherited from his father. It's always the first thing a wolf notices when laying eyes on him and makes him hard to miss and even harder to forget. Not only is he of freakish height, but he possesses immense bulk. Even his legs are twice the width of the average wolf's—they are long, sturdy and tree trunk-like, built of thick, heavy bones lined with powerful muscles, and end in large, well-furred paws.
The bulk of his core is even more to behold, with his broad muscular shoulders, barrel chest, and thick neck. He is rock-solid all around. Even with all of his bulk, he remains relatively lean. During the summer when he sheds his thick winter coat, muscular definition is visible in his shoulders, flanks, and thighs.
Most do not notice or pay much attention to his face, but Blythe is very handsomely-featured. He was granted strong jaws which house the dagger-like teeth he does well to maintain, well-shaped and proportioned ears, high cheekbones, and a well-defined bone structure. His muzzle is large and heavy with a slightly crooked bridge but it fits well with the rest of his features.
Fur ※ He bears a thick, shaggy pelt, rough and coarse but with a soft woolly layer underneath his top coat. His dense fur acts as a shield against cold, keeping him well-insulated and comfortable even in the most freezing temperatures, and as armor, protecting him against injury in a fight. The fur on his ruff, thighs, and underbelly is the thickest and wildest, often standing on end. His ruff in particular adds considerably to his already massive size. The fur on his shoulders is thinner than the rest of his coat, allowing the definition in his shoulders to be readily apparent.
His coat primarily consists of deep black fur with dark grey dusting his flanks, thighs, and elbows, as well as just a bit of off-white coloring his toes, lower half of his face, throat, and the fur inside his ears. But there is one color which truly stands out—dark maroon red. It looks as if he was painted with the blood of his victims. It was caused by a recessive mutation, much like a black dilute, and only two of his siblings inherited it as he had. Were he like most of his siblings, perhaps this red would have been an ordinary brown.
The color marks his facial mask, legs, back, and the backs of his ears running down the sides of his neck, lining his white throat. It colors the top of his tail as well, though the hairs are tipped in black, making it less readily apparent than the rich maroon that is found elsewhere.
Eyes ※ His amber stare burns brightly, in stark contrast to the maroon of his mask. The color is deep orange at the edges and shadows of his irises, melting into a bright honey-gold around the pupil. His gaze is bright and almost luminous, but simultaneously dull, cold despite the rich coloring. His eyes are narrow and his brow is heavy and low, his eyes revealing little of his internal thoughts and feelings.
Imperfections ※ His gigantism is caused by a genetic disorder passed through his family on his father's side and he possesses a more extreme form of it, though many do not regard it as a flaw but an asset, despite the struggles it will bring him when he reaches his later years More distinct to him, and perhaps one feature that catches the eye of those who meet him, would be the scar that marks his left shoulder. Deep and jagged, caused by his master's teeth slicing through the muscle. It never fully healed, complicated by the many times he reopened the wound, and even now it still aches.
Physical Strengths
⮞ Great Strength × Blythe possesses a great deal of physical and mental strength, giving him an advantage in fights as well as throughout his life. Thanks to his massive size and powerful, well-developed muscles, he possesses immense strength and can completely dominate those dumb enough to challenge him with relative ease. He can throw his weight around to knock others off their feet, and he finds he can lift other wolves and throw them with little trouble. He is very capable even without using the strength of his bite, but when his bite does come into play, things become deadly fast. He has a bite that can snap a femur in two as if it were a twig.
⮞ Durability × Not only can he dish it out, but he can take massive amounts of punishment. It rarely ever happens, but there have been times in his life where he was beaten to the point of near-death and he would take it all in stride. Even when it almost hurt too much to stand, he would push himself and keep going. Perhaps it's not the best when he's trying to heal, but in the moment, his ability to bite through pain has only served him well.
⮞ Fast Reaction Time × Though Blythe is not the swiftest of speedsters nor the most agile, his reflexes and reactions are sharp, fast, and instinctive. When taken by surprise or faced with a sudden threat, he responds quickly without even thinking. However, with him always being so on-guard, even when resting, it's rare for anyone to catch him unprepared.
⮞ Speed in Short Bursts × Blythe would not be counted among the fastest racers. However, his strong legs launching him off the ground give him an explosive burst of speed when he takes off. As a result, his leaps and lunges propel him through the air like a bullet, but after those first few seconds he quickly loses that speed.
⮞ Intimidating × With his massive size and serious face, most besides the brave and foolish are stricken with fear when under his shadow. His muscles ripple beneath his skin. His hot amber stare is menacing. His teeth are like daggers. Even a paw swipe from him is enough to break a smaller wolf in half. His mane only adds to his colossal appearance.
Physical Weaknesses
⮞ Speed Mid-run × Blythe's built like a brickhouse and he's far from lean. His long, wild, uneven fur only adds to his lack of aerodynamics. With his shape and figure, and the way his muscles are developed, he is not meant to run like he's soaring. However, he can jog at a steady pace for a long period of time, but sprinting is not his strong suit.
⮞ Cumbersome Build × Such bulk can easily become a burden. He doesn't possess the agility of a slimmer wolf, and his body is incredibly inflexible. While his wall-like body serves him well in his defenses, evading attacks is much more difficult. Being such a large target is troublesome, and he often cannot simply duck, roll, or jump out of the way like a smaller wolf could. Weighing so much and being so large puts a lot of strain on his joints as well.
⮞ High Metabolism × His massive physique requires a massive supply of nutrients. Being so large, fit, and active, he burns through calories like fire does wood. After any strenuous activity, or just walking and existing for long enough, he's extremely hungry and his hunger weakens him and leaves him unable to perform at peak condition. As a result, he needs to eat a lot, more than twice the amount an ordinary wolf would eat daily, and he spends much of his time searching for food.
⮞ Burns Through Energy Quickly × When he was younger, Blythe had absolutely amazing stamina. Even now, he can keep himself going at a steady, even pace for very long periods of time without stopping for a rest, and he'll push himself for as long as he can, but because of his size, his heart and lungs must work much harder under stress. Still being a wolf and having trained his endurance, his ability to keep going is far from terrible, but compared to a smaller wolf, he burns out much faster if he doesn't pace himself.
⮞ Intimidating × Both a strength and a weakness. Most will not challenge him or get in his way, he is shown respect and fear wherever he goes, and he has no trouble using a bit of force to get another to comply with him, and this is all well and good. He is comfortable with this and cannot imagine another way of living. However, because he is so frightening to behold and hard to get to know, he finds it difficult to find worthy companions that will regard him as his comrades and friends, let alone anyone that will trust him as a proper packmate rather than a bestial asset. He is often not treated a wolf, but as a beast.
Mental Characteristics
Personality Type: Introvert
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
MBTI: ISTJ
Enneagram: Type 8 sp/sx
Western Zodiac: Scorpio
Overview: Blythe is often a cold and aloof guy, mostly due to his past leading him to become an distrusting and damaged individual who would rather avoid getting too close with others. It isn't hard for someone like him to avoid unwanted interaction either—with his massive size and his serious expression, he comes off as hostile and dangerous so most don't want to get in his way. Despite that, he has his vulnerabilities like anyone else, but he'd rather hide them all away behind a nigh-impenetrable shell and a stoic face.
He is very honest, perhaps to a fault. In fact, he's blunt to the point of brutality. He will just call it like he sees it and chances are, he won't put it gently or nicely and he often comes across as rather rude or like he's trying to start something. This can cause some trouble, though many wolves aren't likely to want to challenge him.
While he is secretive as far as his personal feelings and experiences go, he does not like to let his opinions on certain things go unnoticed. How he feels about something or someone will often be clear, especially if he doesn't think very well of them. If he sees something go on that he is not okay with, he wouldn't be the sort to just tolerate it--no, he will take a stand and do something.
However, his private thoughts and feelings are an entirely different story. He reveals little about himself, and nothing of his past. His emotions are locked away and he'd rather no one know about them. It helps that his expression is often stoic and cool, revealing nothing of his true feelings if he wishes to hide them. It is extremely rare for him to open up, and for him to willingly share what goes on beneath the surface is a privilege granted to no one but the wolves closest to him.
To this wolf, a secret is a valued thing, and if something was intended to be a secret, then no one may know, and if one were to confide in him, you can trust that his lips are sealed.
For him, it's very difficult to trust anyone, especially after what had happened to him. With many others, he gets the feeling that they may someday betray him. At the worst, history would repeat itself. He's only protecting himself from yet another betrayal and from losing more friends and preventing himself from suffering more than he already does. He often finds himself unable to sleep near other wolves, unable to just relax his mind and sleep. If he must sleep, he will do it away from others, and even then, it doesn't come to him easily.
There have been a few he let in, and to them he is stubbornly loyal to the end and will gladly walk to hell and back for them. He would never forsake them and the thought would never even cross his mind. He is not an openly affectionate man, but with just how fiercely protective and deeply devoted he is, those he cares about will not be in doubt.
He is a wolf willing to work hard to obtain what he wants. He is always keen to improve his skills, as well as to prove himself to others, especially to his betters. Proving himself is how he believes is the way to go about gaining more respect, and generally, while he does respect most wolves on a basic level, his admiration is far greater for wolves that prove that they have qualities he appreciates or deems respectable.
Mental Strengths
⮞ Skilled Fighter × Along with his natural strength, Blythe is a talented fighter and throughout his life has done nothing but cultivate this talent to become one of the fiercest warriors there ever was. He was groomed from an early age to fight, trained and prepared for the battlefield until it became time for his first real battle at the tender age of six months. He took on thousands of battles since, each one testing him more than the last. He has experience, he has skill, he knows damn well what he's doing when he steps foot in the arena.
⮞ Observant × He listens twice as much as he speaks, and watches quietly. As a result, he finds that new information comes to him very easily, and he is acutely aware of what goes on.
⮞ Hardworking × Since joining the Caedis Clan, Blythe learned to have a strong work ethic and drive to succeed, push himself harder, and constantly improve his skills. He is driven and determined to get the job done and achieve his goals and nothing will stop him. Thta is one good thing to have come out of the Caedis Clan, the lessons he learned from Yagura about not letting himself slack off and always seeking to be at his peak.
⮞ Honest × He is not just an honest worker, but an honest man. Blythe is not gentle in his honesty, with his brusque, no-nonsense approach to things, but he doesn't aim to insult or hurt anyone with his words either. If he wanted to hurt somebody, he has plenty of more efficient ways to do so. He just likes to keep it straightforward and honest and doesn't have the patience for nonsense. His honest nature makes him easier to trust and rely on, as it's always clear what you can expect from Blythe and everyone knows what he says is what he means and there is no deception involved.
⮞ Strong Sense of Camaraderie × Blythe does not consider himself to have friends. Even as a child. Throughout his life, he has had comrades, wolves who work alongside him to achieve a common goal. Such as his squad back when he worked for the Caedis Clan, or his brothers, or a few other wolves he had met along the way. He has been known to be a great companion, with his dedicated, loyal nature, sense of honor, and his willingness to do anything for his comrades' sake.
Mental Weaknesses
⮞ Bad Temper × Blythe has a fairly short temper and finds himself very easily annoyed. Even when he's not irritated, he still looks annoyed, rendering him rather unapproachable for most. Though, the unapproachable part is fine by him.
⮞ Antisocial × Blythe isn't the best at socializing. While he is observant and can be sympathetic if he tries, he very rarely knows what to do or how to react in social situations and he often feels uncomfortable when dealing with others. His manners are not the best, as he is too blunt and often doesn't realize when he should thank someone, or say please. He also just doesn't like to interact all that much, finding it rather uncomfortable and tiring. As a result, he usually keeps to himself.
⮞ Post-Traumatic Stress × After his traumatic upbringing and the disastrous events that characterized his adolescence, Blythe developed post-traumatic stress disorder. He is doing better now than he did as a young adult freshly escaped from the grasp of the Caedis Clan, thrown into a world completely unlike what he was familiar to, but he still struggles. Even with the good things that have come into his life, he often feels incredibly hopeless. For him, the future is bleak and life in general feels very empty and almost pointless. In his mind, there's nothing much in store for him, especially not anything good.
⮞ Hypervigilant × Due to his PTSD, he often feels tense and anxious, almost as if he is threatened by something, but what can threaten a wolf like him? He knows it's not rational, but the nerves within him make it nearly impossible to fully relax. He is always on guard, watching for threats, for signs.
⮞ Distrusting × Since his trauma, he's found it hard to trust anyone, even years after it's happened. For some reason, he can't just forget it and move past it. That day his whole life turned upside down and he lost everything at the jaws of his leader, who turned on their clan. On Blythe. The leader he once respected and admired. The leader that was almost like an uncle to him. It's hard to not think of it when he meets another wolf, when he gets to know them, when he comes to accept them as a comrade. Who's to say they won't do the same? That they won't betray him? That they won't take advantage of his vulnerability? ...there's no way to be sure.
⮞ Insomnia × Connected with his PTSD and the anxiety and depression that has resulted from it, Blythe has trouble sleeping. It's often nearly impossible, and he simply can't relax enough to do it. Even when his body is exhausted, his mind won't stop like a swarm of wasps is buzzing in his skull. He's often so tired and regularly goes days without sleeping, until he collapses in a heap and whatever sleep he manages to get is plagued by nightmares.
⮞ Disregards His Own Limits × He often works too hard. The anxiety in him pressures him to keep pushing himself harder and harder, because it distracts him from his thoughts. It keeps him busy. It keeps him okay. But he will push himself past his limits on a regular basis, shoving past his physical and mental exhaustion. Even when he is hurt and needs time to rest and heal, he will try to get back to work the moment he feels well enough, even if it's too soon.
Likes
⮞ Blood; it's a complicated thing for him because while he revels in it—the taste, the smell, the way it flows—there are times where lupine blood makes him incredibly nauseous. He enjoys it, but when there's too much, when it splatters across everything, when the stench of death overwhelms the air, he can't stand it.
⮞ He lives to fight, and is always up for the thrill of battle. Even just sparring is fun to him, but he craves a real battle with real stakes. But the stakes are never real to him and he finds that nothing challenges him.
⮞ Peace and quiet, though he has plenty of appreciation for action and excitement
⮞ Cold weather and snow. He often doesn't feel the cold aside from his paws becoming numb from the frost, and he enjoys it. It feels natural to him, and it's not unpleasant, unlike warmer weather.
⮞Helping his comrades. If he sees there is a problem, he will be sure to intervene
⮞ Forests carry this homey feeling about them
⮞ A good challenge
⮞ Competition
⮞ Food. He prefers large prey. Something as small as a rabbit does him no good and is far more trouble than it's worth. If someone catches him a rabbit though, well, he won't refuse. He's not a very picky eater and will eat anything he can get.
⮞ Swimming is a great workout.[/ul]
Dislikes
⮞ Liars
⮞ Coyotes. Annoying little bastards, he'd be happy to see them all dead. He never liked them much to begin with, but after having gotten in trouble in one of his old packs for killing a coyote (as far as he was concerned, he was doing his job of protecting the pack), he hates them even more.
⮞ The only pups he cares for are his kin, and even then he can be distant and cold towards them.
⮞ He loathes feeling helpless and weak and unable to do anything. He can't even stand the idea of asking someone else for help, regardless the situation, and is often convinced that no one would help him anyway.
⮞ He has no respect for weak wolves.
⮞ Suck-ups and sweet-talkers
⮞ Crowds
⮞ Irresponsible behavior
⮞ He's not the biggest fan of PDA.
⮞ Arrogance and cockiness
⮞ Cowards
⮞ Loud noise[/ul]
Fears ※ Being betrayed by those he trusts. Losing his best friends. He often has recurring nightmares about the former leader of the Caedis Clan, Shin, and what he had done that fateful night.
Insecurities ※ He's often hyperaware of the scar on his shoulder, often feeling a slight numbness in the area, on rare occasions even a light ache or otherwise strange feeling. He doesn't consider it a good feature, as it just reminds him of the pain he had felt that day, and he wishes the fur of his shoulder was long enough to hide it.
Quirks ※ His face appears to be permanently fixed in a focused and serious frown. When deep in anticipation or thought, or preparing himself for battle, he'll knead the soil with his claws. Other times, when he is more frustrated, he will scratch at the ground. Often can be found flexing his jaws to keep the muscles limber and from locking, mostly done idly without thinking.
Relationships
Mother ※ Echo
Father ※ Donovan
Siblings ※
First Litter × Blazing Sun ♂, Night♂, Soran ♂, Saoirse ♀ (deceased)
His Litter × Aisling ♀, Conall ♂
Third Litter × Riordan ♂, a few unnamed siblings
Mate ※ ---
Offspring ※ ---
Extended Family ※ His brothers have had children. Blaze had Sky ♀, Night had Aspen ♀, Soran had Kiara ♀, and Riordan had Farran ♂
In-Game Relationships
[none yet]
Miscellaneous
Voice and Speech Patterns ※ Blythe has a deep voice, gruff and rumbly with a guttural quality. Many of his words are touched by a slight growl. He typically speaks relatively flatly and is prone to short, often abrupt, sentences.
Scent ※ Faintly musky with the lingering metallic odor of blood.
Theme Songs
Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit ♫
Breaking Benjamin - Hopeless ♫
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow ♫
Motionless in White - Break the Cycle ♫
Breaking Benjamin - Hopeless ♫
Breaking Benjamin - I Will Not Bow ♫
Motionless in White - Break the Cycle ♫
Posting Template
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History
content warning: mature content, not for kids. there is death, violence, cannibalism, mild language, some mentions of incest (none actually occurs within the story but it is alluded to)
Part I
It was five years ago when a she-wolf, Echo, disappeared deep into the woods to bear her three pups—Aisling, Blythe, and Conall. There was one more pup, a stillborn runt. Being born dead spared it the terror that would have been Donovan's teeth. Donovan, the king of the pack, was an abusive wolf, violent and bad-tempered. When it came to his pups, he cared only about determining a worthy successor. He had such a successor the year before, but by the time last year's pups grew their adult coats, he discovered his last heir was not so suitable. On his back, he had such disgusting bright orange fur—more befitting a fox than a proper wolf. Donovan had exiled him, and would have killed him if not for their stupid daughter getting in the way, giving the boy time to escape.
This year's litter, he hoped turned out better, but there were so few options. Only three pups, but one caught Donovan's eye. The largest of the three, black-furred like him. His son, Blythe, would make the perfect heir, he hoped. In the coming months, Donovan raised Blythe to know his place in the world, as the future king, as Donovan's successor. He raised Blythe to know the excellence of his lineage, that he was superior to ordinary wolves. They were smaller, weaker, with fragile little bones. The Gods made them strong for a reason, and that reason was to dominate the wolves beneath them. Donovan made sure Blythe knew this well, and that he knew he was to follow in Donovan's pawprints and lead this pack when his time came, and when his time came, he was to conquer more lands and expand their empire.
Blythe grew to be a selfish, arrogant, spoiled child. He was disobedient and did whatever he pleased. He bowed only to his father and mother's commands, but even then he was stubborn. Echo tried very hard to teach Blythe and keep him from becoming just like Donovan. Echo taught him to treat his family kindly and with love. Echo taught him to be loyal to his family and his pack. Echo taught him about the wonders of the world, the different animals and plants, and to respect them for without them, the wolf cannot live. Blythe took in all her lessons. Sometimes when he was with Donovan, he might mention something he learned from Echo. Donovan didn't always like it, and Blythe quickly learned not to upset Donovan.
Part II
There was a great rock in the heart of the forest, where the pups would go to play. One day, when Blythe was about three months old, the pupsitters brought all the pups there. They played all afternoon, and when it came time to leave, Blythe refused to join the rest of the group. He stayed behind. Later that night, a storm hit. The rain washed away the scents of the pack, and it was hard for him to navigate the forest in the dark. He got lost that night, and was discovered by a small group of wolves. Intruders. They could have killed him easily, but the leader of the group, a bulky, brown-furred male named Yagura, decided to take him in instead. Blythe followed the group far away from the forest he called home, to the steppe they called theirs. It was almost alien to be in a place with so few trees, with such dull yellow grass. The place looked barren, but it was where these wolves lived. They traveled along the coastline, where the air smelled like salt, until they reached a rocky area with many caves. There were many wolves here, but their numbers were nothing compared to Blythe's birth pack.
They met another male there, larger and bulkier than Yagura. He lazily lounged inside a cave with gnawed-on bones at his paws. He was scarred all over, and his left eye was blinded. Blythe learned that this pack was known as The Caedis Clan, and this was its leader, Shin. He could tell this pack was much different from his own. All the wolves here looked alike. They were cold and distrusting of outsiders. They trained hard every day. For what, Blythe didn't know, but it looked like fun. The other pups wouldn't play with him, except for the two who ended up becoming his best friends, Akito and Rin. Even when he joined them all in training a week after his arrival, the other pups kept their distance from him. He was not like them. He was an outsider.
When he was six months old, it was time for his first mission. Blythe had an idea of what he was meant to do today, and he had been training hard and preparing for it. But no amount of preparation would have made him ready for what he had to face that day. He was assigned a squad of one adult and three pups, and those would be his comrades from that point on. He was lucky to be put on the same team as Yagura, Akito, and Rin. For their first mission, they were paired with two other freshly-formed squads to form one team. Together, they would have to prove their worth to the Clan as warriors by fulfilling a small contract: just the week before, a messenger from another pack nearby asked the Caedis Clan to eliminate their rival on the opposite side of the Mammoth River. The target was a small pack of twelve wolves. It wasn't much for the seasoned warriors on Blythe's team, but for the young wolves, it would be a real challenge.
They spent the next three days travelling, searching for the pack and scouting out the area. On the fourth day, they struck. It was a hard battle. One of the pups on Blythe's team was killed, and Blythe nearly died himself, but he was rescued by Rin. The aftermath was perhaps the most difficult part, when Blythe thought more about what had happened, what he had done, and what he saw his comrades doing afterwards... they ate those wolves. Just the taste of wolf's blood after the battle made him sick, he couldn't stomach the idea of eating a wolf like it was a deer.
Blythe suffered from nightmares and guilt until the following missions numbed him to the bloodshed. He stopped caring about the countless wolves he murdered. He stopped even thinking of them as wolves, but as prey. He became used to the taste of wolf's blood, and even started to enjoy it.
Despite this, Blythe still cared very strongly for his teammates and held a great loyalty to them, especially to his mentor Yagura, and his squad members Akito and Rin, the first wolves he knew when joining the pack. He could safely describe them as his friends, even, and Akito was almost like his brother. Things were well. He grew, he trained, and he fought. He was a skilled wolf, and slowly grew into a fighter that was feared. Though many wolves often ignored him and avoided him, they did not start fights with him.
Sometimes he wished they didn't avoid him. They revered Yagura. Akuma and Kasumi, as well. Two warriors Yagura's age, whose squads would often work alongside Blythe's. Akito and Rin were both highly respected members of the clan, but not him. He was an outcast, and the only ones who didn't ostracize him were his teammates.
By the time he was a few months over a year old, he had witnessed the deaths of many comrades, though none as close to him as his own team. While he did feel something for their deaths, he didn't let it bother him. If they couldn't defeat these inferior wolves they called their targets, then they didn't deserve to live. This was the mindset of the elites, and by then, he was certainly among them, as was the rest of his prestigious squad.
Yagura was proud of him, for Blythe was like a son to him. Blythe took his elite status and his mentor's pride in him to be a sign that he was truly a superior wolf. There was no one close to his level of greatness besides his team, and no one greater besides Shin, who was the greatest wolf of them all, and was the finest leader this clan had ever seen. He looked up to Shin, and had a strong desire to please him and obey his every whim. He was good to Shin, and Shin was good to him. He felt that perhaps Shin was proud of him, too.
Part III
Blythe just a few months shy of adulthood, and he'd grown large enough to tower above all the rest of the wolves. He had become infamous throughout the land as the Behemoth of the Caedis Clan, and was even feared within the Clan for his size and strength. He received yet another mission. He liked these missions, though they did get quite boring. There was no challenge. It was so simple and easy. It was just go in, butcher everyone, and go back home. This mission, however, proved to be slightly more difficult than that. These wolves put up a significant fight, even managing to injure Akuma with a torn-off tail and twisted ankle. But in the end, they didn't stand a chance, and they were killed like all the rest. Some wolves escaped, but at this point, no one cared if a couple wolves got away. Akuma needed to get home and rest.
Little did they know what they would find when they returned home that night.
Lupine corpses littered the area, bloody and beaten with entrails and blood splattered over the steppe. Bodies piled atop of each other, forming a mound of varying shades of brown, saturated with their blood. Some were just barely alive, though there wasn't any hope for them. So many questions flooded his troubled mind. What happened? Who was responsible? What did this mean? He was numb to carnage, but he just couldn't shake this sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. One by one, his comrades fell after that. First Akito was slain, then Akuma, then Kasumi, and Rin... almost all of them were murdered by Shin, who was behind it all. Blythe didn't understand why... it seemed like he doubted the Clan's loyalty to him, like he believed Yagura may challenge him and the Clan will choose his brother's side.
Blythe could do nothing but watch in horror as the two brothers battled to the death. When he saw Yagura's lifeless body hanging in Shin's jaws, something in him broke at that moment. He launched himself at the older wolf, fangs bared and ready to strike. Before he could land his attack, he was knocked aside and he felt teeth slice into his shoulder, cutting deep and tearing the muscle. He collapsed to the ground, blood sprinkling the soil beneath him as it oozed from his wound. It hurt so badly and he could hardly stand on his left forefoot, but Blythe would not give up. Shin needed to die. They fought violently under the rain. He remembered each horrid detail, but it all rushed by like the adrenaline coursing through the young wolf's veins.
The fight did not last long, for Shin was tired and weak, his energy expended killing the other wolves. Blythe approached the older male. He was exhausted, and in pain, especially on his shoulder, but he would not give up. Rainwater dripped from his chin, and it mixed with both his blood and his former master's blood. He stepped closer, and he landed the killing blow on the old wolf, with his jaws clamped around his throat, tightly and suffocatingly, and piercing the jugular vein.
Shin struggled and struggled, until he didn't. He lay loose and limp, still in the black wolf's grasp. It was all over now. Blythe was so tired and sick from the overwhelming taste of blood. He couldn't stand it.
Tears flowed from his eyes. This was it. And nothing was there for him now. His friends were dead, and he watched them die. He let them die.
He dropped the body, and cried as he slowly lumbered away. He was so tired... he was so hurt... but he needed to leave this land.
There was nothing left for him there.
Part IV
When he was nearly an adult, he found a land after passing through his birth home, recovering from his wounds, though one of them simply did not heal fully, and was left as a scar. He couldn't show his face to his family after what happened. They wouldn't even recognize him anyway. He wasn't the pup he was when they knew him.
Sometime during his travels through this territory, he found a beautiful land and a more-or-less friendly pack that was called The Blazing Flame Pack. Though they did not trust him at all, they actually accepted him even though he didn't expect such a thing to happen... then it turned out his eldest brother was the dominant male.
It was a decent year. It was when he discovered he still had something to live for, at least. He had his brothers, and he had his nieces. He had a family. He had a real family that didn't use him or betray him, and he was sworn to protect those wolves. Nearly everyone else hated him, though, and he was treated like an outcast and shunned for being deemed a violent wolf. They weren't wrong. His despair and anguish from that fateful night morphed to agonized fury. He lashed out. He was paranoid and anxious. His anger often led to violent attacks on other pack members and he was often in trouble. He only got away with it with a slap on the wrist because his brother was in charge, but he was consequently treated worse by the pack. Initially simply treating him as an outsider, now they feared and despised him. Only Blazing Sun, Night, and Sky had any respect for him. They treated him like a proper wolf, not just some wild beast that they tolerated.
Aspen thought she could understand. But she liked him in a way a niece wasn't supposed to like her uncle. Blythe tolerated her affections, but ultimately pushed her away. He hurt her once, and she called him a monster for it. After that, she left to go live with her mother in another pack. Blythe felt terrible. He didn't mean to hurt her. He just wanted her to leave him alone— he just didn't know his own strength.
There was a huntress he knew, and a young wolf just a few months younger than he was. The kid made friends with a coyote, and Blythe killed it. His intent was simply to protect the pack, but apparently doing his job was a crime now. The huntress tried to get him in trouble for it. Thankfully Blazing Sun couldn't be damned to punish his brother over a dead coyote, but the huntress never did seem to forgive him. It seemed like every time they crossed paths after that, she had something to say to him. The youth came to forgive him though, at least by the time she grew up and became a warrior herself.
But he was alright. Or so he tried to tell himself. As the months passed and he matured into an adult, he started to feel very lonely. He thought, maybe he should find a mate? But there was never any female he felt a connection with. There was one he thought might be a decent match for him, and she was one of the only wolves in the pack who showed him any kindness, but he felt nothing more than simple camaraderie towards her. He wondered what was wrong with him.
There was one female who felt sorry for him and how pathetically lonely and withdrawn he was. So she pursued him. He accepted her advances. After all, she most likely would have only been the only one besides his niece to ever even consider becoming his mate, and she hated him anyway. Still, he felt no love for this female, and the attraction wasn't there. He just didn't want to be alone.
So they were mates, or at least, they tried to be. It didn't work. She wanted to have pups, but it just wasn't happening—he wasn't attracted to her. He couldn't do it.
"What's wrong with you, Blythe?" she had said one night, frustrated. They had been trying for days now. She was ready and willing, but he wasn't.
"I wish I knew," he told her. It wasn't long afterwards that she left him and the pack. After that, he began to think that he too should leave as well, and search for a new home. After all, Night was gone, and Sky had, too, departed. Home wasn't even home anymore. The Blazing Flame Pack just wasn't the same without them. But he stayed, still attached to the territory. Sky had come back, and Blazing Sun was back to actively leading. So he stayed with them. Sky had managed to put a smile on his face before, but not anymore. His existence was so hollow and he wondered why he kept breathing. Eventually, he left them too.
He decided to make a visit to his childhood home.
Part V
It was painful to meet again with his mother. He was no longer that beloved pup. Echo didn't recognize him at first sight, and he introduced himself, words laced in shame. Echo didn't notice, having just been overjoyed to see her son once again.
Blythe had wondered what happened to his littermates, but he didn't ask. He figured that they went on their own path. After an emotional reunion, Echo took him around to see the pack. Echo had more pups, all grown adults by the time Blythe met them. One of his younger siblings, Riordan, had taken over the pack, leading it peacefully alongside his mate, and had children of his own. The pups were still young, but old enough to explore the territory. Blythe would spend time with his nieces and nephews, especially the oldest son, Farran.
Blythe stayed with his family for a few weeks. It was pleasant and relaxing and he spent a good deal of time bonding with the yearlings. During that time, he hadn't seen Donovan at all. He knew the male was dead, but no one would speak of what happened. He asked, but no one would answer. The peace gave him a chance to think, and that he did. The life in this pack was not what he had remembered. Aisling and Conall, two of the most important wolves in the world to him, were gone. He loved his siblings and he loved his mother, but this was not home to him.
That next morning Blythe said his farewells to his family. He even let Echo know that he held her dear, and that he loved her. They shared a nuzzle, then he departed. He had no direction to take himself and he had no hope for himself. All he could do was wander, so he did. He wandered alone and pathetic, a lone wolf with nothing and lived emptily with the burden of all his sins.
It was like a curse so bad it tore through his sleep and he couldn't even dream. Whenever he did, the memories would hit him hard, and he'd often wake up with reopened wounds and in tears. He just wished he could forget it all, and pretend it never happened. He wished he could be okay.
But he wasn't.
He searched for a new home, one where he fit. He searched for some sort of clarity in the fog of his mind. He searched for something, anything at all, even if he wasn't sure exactly what it was. He heard that Strong had gone north to start his own pack, so Blythe decided to start there.
Part VI
Blythe headed north in search of the pack he heard Strong, the old Beta of the Blazing Flame Pack, started. It was a long journey and a long search, but he eventually found it—The Seasonal Trackers Pack. They were mostly based around a great mountain known as Denali, the point where these spirits of light would meet the earth, and apparently newcomers were to travel up this mountain to meet the spirits and receive their blessing. Blythe was skeptical, but he had come all this way and he was not going to back out now.
He came to like the Seasonal Trackers Pack. Its lands were beautiful, the pack treated him with at least some degree of respect, and he even managed to make a few friends—just Bluemoon and Slay, but friends nonetheless. It seemed like Strong wasn't around much. Blythe wondered what he would spend all his time doing, he had considered the Iberian wolf to be a worthy comrade. Instead, the main authority was MoonShine, Strong's mate. Blythe thought little of her at first, but he eventually came to respect her, as a leader and as his equal.
Blythe underwent his ritual and met the spirits Megedagik and Akecheta—warrior spirits which suited him perfectly. He joined the Summer Clan as an Instructor, following in the blood-red spirit Megedagik's path. He would train the pack's future fighters so they could properly defend the territory. Soon, he became a Chief Instructor. It was a great honor that Blythe never believed he would earn, but he held the title with pride and sought to be the best Chief he could be.
Things didn't always go smoothly for the Seasonal Trackers however. Bluemoon had a son who proved to be, perhaps, the greatest threat the Seasonal Trackers ever had to face. Phantom. The boy killed almost all of his siblings and ran off with his adoptive sister to form his own pack. He didn't just stop at his siblings either. He and his pack brought about absolute chaos, and several of Blythe's packmates were injured or even killed. Blythe vividly remembers the day Phantom tore Slay's leg off, and how he inadvertently helped the bastard when he tried to step in.
Sometime after, Phantom was killed and the Lucid Grave Pack disbanded, but that wasn't the end of the Seasonal Trackers Pack's troubles. Strong and MoonShine's relationship was strained, weakened from all the years they spent with MoonShine practically holding the pack together alone, even though she had only the spirit of Winter to guide her. They fought and separated, and the pack fell apart. With both Dominants gone, the Seasonal Trackers Pack had no guidance, no leadership. The spirits tried to mend this when they selected new leaders to take their place—random outsiders no one had even heard of. It didn't work out.
Part VII
It seemed that everyone went their own way after that. Some left the land entirely to find something new, while others, like him, lingered in the territory. He reunited with Slay. They stayed together in the territory. Food became more plentiful now that the pack's scents faded away, but hunting wasn't easy with just one able-bodied wolf. Though Slay could help track and take prey down, he couldn't help chase and wear it down with just three legs and he was finding it harder to get around in his old age. But they managed, and Blythe was content to be with his friend. In the coming months, they came across Slay's mate, Winona, and the group travelled together.
It was wrong but Blythe couldn't help but feel a sting of something when he saw Slay and Winona together, when he saw the two of them cuddling, when he saw that look in Slay's eyes when he looked at Winona. He didn't understand why he didn't feel happy for Slay, happy seeing his best friend had found love. He just... didn't. It got worse each time he heard Slay call him 'brother.' He was supposed to be happy about it, and he was, but it was always tainted by the throb of pain he felt inside. What was wrong with him?
He tried to ignore it. Just push it to the back of his mind and try to live happily with his friend. It turned out he was very good at ignoring his innermost feelings, so long as Slay was there. Slay was happy, healthy enough for an old three-legged wolf, and he was right at Blythe's side. Always. That was enough for Blythe.
During the winter, a terrible storm hit and Blythe was separated from the rest of his group. Being alone was nothing new, but being alone without Slay... he couldn't deal with that. He couldn't imagine his life without Slay. He gave Blythe purpose. He made him feel like he could be a better wolf. He was everything he had. He was the only wolf he felt a deep, genuine connection with, whose eyes he could look into and instantly understand. Blythe loved Slay. More than anything. And he didn't even know if Slay was alive or dead. Later that winter, he found himself approaching a frozen-over lake, and just near it was an old, frostbitten tree. A dark form lay under the tree, stark against the surrounding white landscape. A feeling of dread fell over him and his heart raced in his chest. He didn't know why, until he realized that was Slay under that tree, and he was lying there, completely motionless.
Blythe rushed over to Slay, running as fast as he could. He stopped, his legs shaky and weak, his ears flat against his skull. He collapsed beside Slay. No... he can't be... He lay there, still shaking, and he laid his head and a foreleg on Slay's side. He was so thin, Blythe could faintly feel Slay's ribs, and his grizzled fur was falling out, leaving his coat thin. A mere shadow of the strong and spirited old wolf he was before the storm.
He thought Slay was dead, until he could feel the old wolf's slow and shallow breathing. "Slay...?" he whispered. Slay began to stir, but he remained still and silent. Blythe stayed beside him, hoping and praying Slay would wake up again, that he could see Slay half-smile at him again, that he could hear his voice again. He didn't care about anything else, he just wanted to be with Slay again... he wanted Slay to always be at his side.
He held Slay's weakened body close and he lay there with him. “Blythe? Is… that really you?” Blythe opened his eyes, turning his head slightly to meet Slay’s weary gaze.
“Yeah...” Blythe hated to see Slay like this--he looks so weak and tired, and he looked so much older than he remembered. But it was such a relief to see him alive, awake, and talking again. Blythe managed a weak smile. “I’m here.” The two wolves lay together in silence, warm despite the bonechilling cold. But it wasn't to last. Those moments he spent with Slay, ended up being the last. Words could not describe the emotions that flooded within Blythe that day, how he broke down beside Slay's body. He screamed out, until his throat was raw and his lungs ached.
It hurt... it hurt worse than anything. Even that day, when his master betrayed him. Slay was gone. Forever. He wasn't coming back. All Blythe had was Slay's cold body beneath him. He dug into the snow, tirelessly despite his hunger and exhaustion, shovelling away the snow until he reached the wet soil underneath. Then he continued digging. He buried Slay in the hole, covering him with earth and patting it down, then covering the spot again with snow. He moved on, empty and alone, wandering the forest for the rest of the winter.
...he wasn't meant to be happy.
He wasn't meant to have loved ones.
He was meant to be alone.
And so alone he stayed. He traveled far and wide, drifting through as an empty husk of the wolf he once was. Once recovering and healing, he was broken again. Life felt meaningless. He sought to fulfill his gods-given purpose as a heartless killer and fighter. And so he would hunt others of his kind. Any loners he met, he would kill and devour. On occasion, he would massacre packs. It provided some sort of thrill and purpose to his pointless existence.
But after living that way for a few months, he couldn't stand it any longer. He missed the order of living in a pack, having a specific purpose and working to fulfill it. He missed the camaraderie. And so he began his search for a pack worthy enough to take him.