Smoke & Mirrors: Mathias' Dream
4/20/2006
04:26 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.
Currently the moon is in the waning Half Moon phase (50% full).
It is currently 16:16 Pacific Time on Thu Apr 20 2006.
Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the northwest at 6 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.89 and falling, and the relative humidity is 50 percent. The dewpoint is 44 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius.)
Bawn: Northern Forest(#3012RA)
Dark and forboding woods stretch in all directions but the north, the trees close together as if they were soldiers closing ranks against the enemy of Man. The trees here are tall, and close off all light from above, like they were pillars in some vast cathedral to Nature. Songbirds flit between the branches and the snuffling of small animals comes from the brush if one listens close enough. The busy interstate highway to the north, though, drowns out most of the subtler sounds in that direction.
The northern edge of the bawn is marked here by the unavoidable length of Interstate 90. Near it, the sounds of traffic drown out the more natural sounds of water and wildlife. In all other directions, the traffic noise recedes into the background.
Contents:
Mathias
Obvious exits:
Interstate 90 North Lone Boulder Western Bawn Central Bawn Eastern Bawn
Mathias is out scouting the northern bawn, he's about a mile in from the bawn edge, a scent marker showing where he is. He stays in homid as he is seen eatting a peanutbutter sandwhich. He's hurt, and it shows, though the wounds have healed over with scabs, it's obvious that his body isn't at it's peak.
Just a small nap. Couldn't hurt. At least, that's what the brain tells the body, injured as it is, giving the Fang a chance to get some rest before resuming patrol. Whatever form he chooses to lie down in, his mind is overcome with a blissful feeling of sleep. When he 'wakes', it is within the dreaming world of the subconscious. The colors of the bawn seem richer than usual, but he's back in action, without wounds or hurts. It's just the theurge and the bawn, stretching out before him. Things seem normal for the most part. The wind whispers its tuneless songs, playing the breezes.
Mathias dosn't seem to notice the healing of the wounds. Maybe to him, it was never about the wounds to begin with. He had a task, and that task would be completed. Making sure he dosn't leave tracks behind of his having been there. Mathias turns into the white wolf (Or at least tries to), as he heads towards the bawn edge to complete the scouting.
In his dreams, it's possible. The white wolf's world grows even richer with sight, scent, sound, and touch in the lupus form. It crosses the mind, that no wonder lupus are so uninclined to shift to a dull-sensed, disabled trap of a human shell. As he travels through the forest, though, a feeling of being watched tickles at the mind. Maybe it's the dark shadows of the northern forest, that always have retained this sense in the past, but this time there's an active sense of it. Sniffing the air, there's a hint of asphalt from the interstate highway, and a rancid chemical smoke unlike anything of a natural wildfire.
Mathias pauses as he senses something unnatural. Focusing for a moment, he lifts his muzzle to the wind as he inhales the scents deep, checking for the wyrm taint. It is exactly what he is supposed to be doing, and something so simple will not be failed by the Silver Fang. Wyrm or no, the fang starts to head on over towards the rancin chem scent.
Wyrm taint, it isn't. At least, that's not what rings the bell. It's just that irrepressible feeling of being observed, like an invisible shadow overhanging. The smell gets stronger to the northwest, taking the Fang away from the bawn and closer to the highway. The woods thin, as expected of land that underwent some development, and as he comes to the edge of the treeline, the white wolf can see a black one. It stands right in the middle of the road, completely unfearing of the multi-car pile up right on the highway. It's from this accident that the smell of gasoline and fire assaults the senses. The black one, though, is unaffected.
Mathias checks back and forth, trying to decide what to do. After a moment, he gives a howl, trying to summon the guardians of the bawn. It's not that he is scared, but he is doing his duty. He is not supposed to engage these things if he is alone. So, he waits, and watches, trying to learn more.
The fire spreads. Looks like the leaking gas of the cars is seeping into the earth, and that sets the nearby weeds on fire. The guardians don't answer - perhaps it's too far from the bawn's edge. The black wolf turns its head at the howl to look at Mathias, but its eyes... there's not eyes there, but mirrors. They reflect the hot flames from the piled cars, which on second glance are no longer cars, but the piled bodies of wolves. Wolves that look familiar for some reason. The Hidden Walk's Garou. This black furred wolf grins toothily, lolling out its tongue like it finds this to be a very funny joke.
Mathias seems to start to recognize the garou there, as he stares at the black wolf. He starts to shift up to that of the crinos, rage in the eyes of the theurge as he runs to make an assault against the black wolf. He gives a loud howl of a battlecry, seemingly ready to shread the black wolf. Fire on the weeds be damned. That black wolf will pay.
Or will it? The mirroreyed one stops its grin the moment the Fang charges. Claws slash forth, slicing through... smoke. Without a sound, the black wolf is consumed in a dark aura and disappears, only to reappear again off to one side. ~You wish to save them?~ The words are growled whispers, reverberating on the inside and outside all at once.
Mathias gives a look about until he spots the Black Wolf once more. He gives a low growl, ~If they have died with honour fighting the wyrm, and have returned to the homelands as victors of Gaia, then they have earned thier rest." his voice is filled with anger. ~Or if they have returned to Gaia, she will bore them anew, stronger warriors ready to defend thier mother. But if they live yet, there is no room for wishing, to make sure they live another day is my purpose.~
~HA!~ barks the black one, laughing in a high pitched, derisive tone. ~You truly are a fool.~ The wolf twists and bends, a dark aura consuming it like twisting columns of smoke as it changes shape before the Fang's eyes into a reflection of the theurge's warform, only this one black enough to be a shadow that absorbs the light. Only its eyes remain the same, pupiless, silver mirrors. With a glance to the pile of burning wolves, those too end up animating. Slow, jerking movements, the 'dead' come alive one by one, slipping off each other and opening their eyes to reveal their eyes are mirrors too. The first ones tumble from the pile, landing on their paws, and slowly walk towards the whitefurred theurge. The fire continues to burn upon them, and he is close enough to feel that heat.
Mathias looks at the black crinos in front of him, as he snarls a moment, ~Then I am the last defender of this caern. The souls of those who have been taken by the wyrm are forfeit. Thier bodies are insults to Gaia!~ before he lashes out with his claws, seeking to attack as many of those around him as he can.
Watching impassively, the black crinos does nothing but stand there. The burning wolves the theurge strikes at howl in pain, every passing slash opening wounds that spout gouts of fire. Searing and white hot, the Silver Fang starts to bleed himself. Every wound he inflicts upon the wolves that come towards him, appears on his own body. The faces are hard to see, even harder to look at without seeing himself mirrored in their reflective eyes. The faces of the Hidden Walk - those he wishes to be part of - seem to accuse him of betrayal. How could you hurt us? How could you? The visages turn bloody. The Fang's claws rip deep gouges into them, tearing off strips of flesh. The feeling of Rage burns inside him, mirrored by the feeling of the fire burning outside and closing in. The forest, fire unchecked, has gone up in flames as well. Everything is hot and red. Like frenzy.
Mathias does not seem to be swayed by the looks, still clawing at them. The silver fang while hurt, seems to keep going at the attacks with gusto, any one of the other garou who get close to him gets a few claw swipes, but the fang tries to make it over towards the target of his anger, the one in black. For it has caused this problem, and the silver fang seems intent on making it not a problem anymore.
Every wound he opens on one of the wolves, one appears on him as well. It hurts. Fire consumes his vision, as one after another the burning wolves fall around him and get back up again. The black crinos looks to be slipping back as the black shadows consume it again, mixing in with the smoke that pours off the hides of the Walk Garou. Soon, the pain he inflicts is too much. Blow after blow, the red is everywhere, in the fire, in blood, in Rage. All he sees last, before his vision is blacked out by smoke and the mirrored eyes of the wolves dragging him down, is the disappearing form of the black one. Then the Fang jerks awake - this time for real. He's back where he was, in the cool green forest just inside the bawn's edge. The remnant taste of his peanut butter sandwich sticks in his mouth, bu there is that realization that it was all just a dream.
Mathias gives a quick look to the side, there is pain left, but that was not from the dream. He stands up and leans against a tree, his eyes watching outwards to the sky. He fingers the wounds, those caused by Blackriver, and those caused by his dreams that he can still remember. He gives a low growl for a moment, teeth showing as he stalks off to the north, back where the dream had started, to check things out.
All the theurge will find is the interstate highway. Nothing but the occassional car passing by, nothing out of the ordinary. The dream remains fresh in mind, but be careful... being awake has its tendencies to shove out the images from sleep and replace them with those from the waking world.
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