Records of the Past

[Medenagen]

Part I - The Beginning

Snarling and the snapping of jaws filled the air, broken by the cries of pain that were issued from those who fell under the worst attacks. The territory was a mess of clashing figures, all wolves, battling against each other. One pack was the Arshigo pack, the other, Keva'al. The battle had been raging since sun down; it was now well past the middle of night. Bodies of those who had fallen on either side of the war littered the battlefield. The field was such a mess that it was impossible for anyone just arriving to know which side was fighting from where or who was winning the fight. It was pure and utter chaos, every wolf who was remotely able doing their best to turn the tide of the fight to their side. Growl, yelps, whines, and gloating over victories against opponents kept arising in rythmic streams, waves washing over the bloodied field. There was no end in sight for the battle, even as another wolf fell, the numbers always getting evened out.

The leader of the Arshigo wolves was involved in a small battle with a subordinate of the Keva'al pack, one who was not the best of fighters but certainly underhanded enough to be wary of. Achemar, the Arshigo Alpha, picked his movements carefully with the fight. His normally tan fur was shaded into a dark rust color from the blood that stained it. Some was his own as well as from others on the field, both friend and foe. His dark gaze watched the Keva'al wolf who was now coming at him, waiting for his moment to strike to put an end to this battle and move on to the next. Sharp wits and patience let him pick up a fatal flaw in his opponents fighting. Within moments he had the other pinned to the ground in a helpless position and grabbed for the Keva'al wolf's throat. Achemar had once hated to kill any form of life, but here, now, it was either him and his pack, or the Keva'al pack and it's leader, Sokar. His teeth, which he once used only for food and speech, were now full instruments of demise. His former self, present in the back of his mind, screamed at him to stop the madness, but he knew it would not end till one of their packs was gone.

Achemar panted over the wolf beneath him, a short break before he was forced into another fight. Too soon, he heard a yowl that grabbed his attention from his brief reprieve. He turned and caught sight of him, the one that started it all, grappling with one of his pack members. A strong anger began to seethe within Achemar, hatred against the Keva'al Alpha growing stronger with every moment. He let his chance for a brief rest slide away, targetting that wretched wolf that had taken up arms against his pack. His paws moved faster than his thoughts as he charged Sokar head on, trying to get to him before he or the rest of the Keva'al wolves could do any more damage to his own pack. This had to be ended, for the sake of everyone, this had to be ended!

"Sokar!" Achemar yelled before he slammed into his foe. "You rotten devil, I'm going to kill you for what you have done to my pack! You don't deserve to be called a wolf!" He turned his jaws on the leader of the Keva'al, snarling and biting in a fervent manner in a pure rage to bring as much harm as possible. Meanwhile Sokar was grinning maliciously, laughing and dodging the worst of the Achemar's attacks. He pranced about, deep laughter growing in his throat, causing Achemar to lash out more.

"Have I done to this your pack, or have you done it yourself?" Sokar chuckled while dodging a blow. "Perhaps it is you and your pack that should not be deserving of the calling of wolf! Weak minded and pathetic, that's what you all are. You meddle where you shouldn't and can't take the consequences. I spit on your feeble attempts to stay in this world!" he snarled, lunging forward to attack Achemar, his teeth sinking into the Arshigo Alpha's side. For him, this whole fight was pleasurable. It was just another chance to rid the world of those who were not worthy to live in it. He dug his teeth down harder, enjoying every moment.

Achemar yelped, startled by Sokar's sudden move and the pain that followed. He panicked for a moment as Sokar dug in harder. It was the first time in Achemar's life that he had found himself in a situation where he was perilously close to reaching an early end. The only thing spurring him on was a voice in the back of his mind, telling him not to give in, not to let Sokar and his pack win this battle. To lose the battle would mean the complete destruction of his beloved family, the entirety of the Arshigo pack. It would leave the Keva'al unchecked, unrivaled, able to do what they wished to whomever they wished. That couldn't happen. He felt a growl growing within again as Sokar laughed with jaws clenched tightly into his side. Unable to grab for the most vital area of his attacker, he reached for whatever part of him he was able. He found his jaws closing around the Keva'al leader's leg, boring down into the bone.

Sokar loosened his grip from the wound being inflicted on him, just enough for Achemar to break free. Both wolves turned and went at it again, clashing head on in a flurry of teeth and fur. This time there was no talking or insults, only motion. The two came at each other time after time, like opposing waves crashing into each other, knowing that if they got the other to fall, the battle would be done. Around them smaller fights were still raging between other pack members, but attention was shifting to their fight. The Keva'al wolves were soon forming a half circle around the two fighting alphas, chanting insults at Achemar and support for Sokar. Deep in the battle neither of them noticed what was going on around them, fighting tooth and claw against the other.

A high pitched whine erupted over the air, silencing the onlookers from either side of the battle. Achemar stood panting heavily, jaws locked around Sokar's throat, though he still stood. The Keva'al leader tried to get free but was weakening fast, too fast for anything to be done. He staggered to the side, Achemar following so as not to lose his grasp, and finally toppled to the ground. A deep growl still came from Achemar's throat as he held his grip longer. Never had he felt such anger or hatred before, or such a need to kill another of his species. He held on tight, part of him desiring the fight to be over, but another yearning for it to still continue, to get these feelings out on the wretched wolf that lay dead on the ground. A sharp bark from the other pack caught his attention and brought him out of his state, Sokar's son charging at him. He stepped to the side to get out of the way, sending the yearling tumbling to the ground.

"YOU!" Achemar shouted. "Take the rest of your father's sorry excuse for a pack and leave these lands! I don't want to see neither hide nor hair of your kind ever again tainting this territory! Should I see any of you ever again, you will regret your return." He snarled and stepped closer, part of him hungering to jump forward and just end it all now, kill this other wolf. The little voice of reason in his mind begged him not to go through with it, not to degrade himself any further by stooping to the insanity of the Keva'al wolves. It took every ounce of will-power he had to hold back. The killing had to stop.

"You may have killed my father," Serre, Sokar's son, snarled, "but you have done nothing to this pack. We will return one day, and your pack will feel the full force of what we are! Maybe it won't happen in my lifetime, or my offspring's lifetime, but mark my words, we will return. When that day comes, not a soul from your pack will survive and neither will anyone standing in our way." Serre turned and began to march away, his pack following. Had their numbers not been lessened so much by battle, they would have surely kept fighting until there was not a living thing left in sight. Coming to a hill, Serre turned around and stared back at the Arshigo pack, eyes blazing red. "Just remember, Achemar, you foolish creature, we will return again! Next time, the Arshigo pack will not get off so easily!" With a menacing cackle, Serre disappeared over the hill, taking the Keva'al wolves with him.

"Never again," Achemar whispered, shaking his head and looking around at the devastation. The Arshigo pack did what they could for those of their members that were injured, limping back to the confines of their territory to recover from all that had happened. Achemar kept deep in thought, rallying everyone together a few days later to hear what he had to say. "We can't afford to have this happen again," he began. "All because we tried to help out another under attack, the Keva'al wolves decided to try to wipe us out." He let out a sigh, not particularly liking the conclusion he had come to, but seeing no other way at the time. "Never can we get ourselves involved in some dispute of others again. Never can we just walk freely around and do what we think is right outside our territory. From now on, we must do our best to not get involved, to keep out of things that could do us so much damage later. We can't make that mistake again."

---------------------------------------------------------

From then on, the Arshigo pack secluded themselves from the rest of the world, watching in case Serre lived up to his threat, but never taking part in any other disputes unless they started on their territory. They kept their reasons secret enough that only the few higher ranking lineages informed unless it seemed necessary to tell the story again. A few short years after the battle, a new group made their way into the northern territories. This time it was a clan of Lynx, the Levisaer. Not as concerned about territory as the Arshigo wolves, they wandered across the borders once or twice, only then learning of the existence of the pack. Being friendlier than most felines, they tried to get to know the Arshigo wolves, talking to them and hoping to have some sort of friendly alliance for when times were bad. The memory of the battle and their cause in it weighed too fresh in the pack's mind at that time and much to the dismay of the Levisaer cats, they refused to form such an alliance. The Levisaers knew not to push the issue, deciding to give respectful privacy to the Arshigo pack, but also offering future friendships with the pack.

The Levisaer Clan took up territory near the Arshigo Pack, partly due to their fascination with the rejection of an alliance they had received and partly due to their taste of landscaping. For many more generations they lived there, side by side with the Arshigo wolves, hearing and seeing little of them, always curious about why the wolves chose to decline the alliance. Even after everyone who had first been there was long gone, the Arshigo pack still held its ways, and the Levisaer clan still held its curiosity of the pack. Then, once again, things in the territory began to change as another group arrived. It was another pack of wolves, at first causing the Arshigo pack to be nervous about the past, wondering if it was the return of the Keva'al they had heard stories about through their generations. They immediately became more on guard, becoming touchy even when a lynx wandered nearby.

The Levisaer felines took some offense at the sudden change in demeanor of the pack they were living near to. Finally, the leader of the clan became bold enough to go ask the Arshigo wolves just what everything was all about. The reply he received was cryptic, but enough for him to know something dreadful had happened to the pack before their clan had come into the territory. Even more curious now, the Levisaer leader decided to pay a visit to the new pack. From this, it was discovered that the new wolves were known as the Dirac Pack. Their attitudes were quite the opposite of the Arshigo pack. They were boisterous and easy going, always up for a good time. However, they were always up for a target for their jokes as well, getting on the nerves of the visiting feline rather quickly. The Rajah left and headed for home, getting trailed by one of the scouts of the Dirac pack.

When the Dirac Scout returned to the pack, he gave information about the whereabouts of the clan, for future fun activities should the pack get bored, as well as the location of another pack. None of them had known about the pack, but now felt the urge to go pay the pack a special visit, to introduce themselves to the neighborhood, as it were. The schemed their prank for several days, rehearsing it repeatedly before heading out to visit the other pack in the dead of winter. Once there, they put everything in to play. A group of Dirac wolves rushed into the Arshigo lands, one of them breaking of from the rest and hollering as though he had gone insane. Sure enough, members of the other pack began to show, coming in a rather unfriendly matter. Their moods did not matter to the Dirac pack. It was all in good fun. When the other pack came close enough, the other Dirac wolves sprang from where they were and began to fling snow into the faces of the other pack. Right afterward they darted out, laughing their heads off and heading home.

The Arshigo wolves did not take too kindly to this event. They were fuming about it. When the Dirac wolves came back again and tried to pull another prank, the Arshigo wolves retaliated and chased them out of the territory. The Levisaer clan got wind of all the happenings between the packs, feeling a bit at fault since the Dirac wolves had pulled a few pranks on them as well. During one of those they found out how the new pack was informed of where the clan lived. It wasn't hard to assume they had led the new pack to the Arshigo wolves as well. The Peacemakers that the lynx were, they took it upon themselves to do what they could to forge some kind of truce for the packs. The Dirac wolves could care less and halfheartedly agreed to the truce, becoming annoyed by the persistence of the felines in the matter. The Arshigo pack was thankful for what the Levisaer clan had done, but still kept to themselves as they always had afterward.

Time continued to pass and things kept on a gradual change. The Dirac pack remained mischievous and the Arshigo pack seclusive. The Levisaer clan kept at their best to keep the two apart, though they knew it wouldn't last forever. Sooner or later, the truce would crumble. The question was, how long would things remain stable, and what would happen afterward?

[Medenagen]

Part II - The Arrival

The day Keva'al had lost that battle was not the end as so many of them seemed to think... No, in fact it was only the beginning of something that would consume each and every Keva’al wolf’s heart and turn his or her greatest desire for revenge into obsession. That night was the prophecy, a promise that the wolves of Keva'al would have their revenge. And so it began. The Keva'al had retreated to tend to their wounds and no one in the pack was fool enough to return to Arshigo lands even when the wounds ceased to be nothing but scars. Those Alphas who attempted to send out their brethren, or those who took the initiative to take it upon themselves to fulfill the prophecy were quickly and easily destroyed. Their deaths were either due to fighting with the Arshigo with so little numbers, or nature's unforgiving wrath.

It was only to happen, after all. Fools would be fools and they would believe that their generation was the one to destroy the Arshigo, the only problem was that it never felt as if theirs was the generation to do it, but merely thought. Several alphas would take command of Keva'al, whether through inheritance or winning an alpha fight, and usually it was the latter. Peace within the pack was not something the Keva'al truly knew or comprehended. Some believed it was the right of the heir to lead the pack, but then in many cases the heir had been killed as well, therefore leaving the new alpha complete control of the pack.

And that was how it was for several generations until another litter was born. This alpha litter followed the direct line of Sokar and his son Serre. Perhaps the first one in at least three generations, perhaps more. The litter was born to a female whom the Keva'al Alpha had taken from her homelands of Arshigo. It wasn't part of the prophecy foretold by Serre, but it made for a very ironic twist of fate. The female, named Kaiya, had borne a litter of three pups for the dreaded and feared Keva'al Alpha, Raid. The litter consisted of one male and two females. Naturally, it was the only male whom would be given the rank of Alpha heir, and yet that same male was the one who would forever hold Keva'al with disdain in his heart. At birth he was given the name Rio, his sisters were dubbed Lyra and Asrai. It would be the runt of the litter, Asrai, that took the title of alpha, and that was only by the death of her father.

Asrai fought her father hard, in fact, it was a fight that lasted way into the late hours of the night. And in the end, Asrai killed Raid and took his title away from him. It is now her driving passion and belief that the time to take on the Arshigo is drawing near that spurs her on. She would be the first alpha that made it her duty to bring the Keva'al wolves together once more and have them function as a pack instead of a bunch of loners without a leader. The time to strike is nigh, and only one question remains: When will the Keva'al strike and finally end the disputes and rivalries that have been going on for ages? Only time will tell, and that time is quickly drawing to an end. Judgment day is near.

The Keva'al have returned...

[Medenagen]

Part III - The Twist

Having walked the lands in secret for many seasons, the Keva'al have grown in strength. They are a few members more and plotting their next moves. However, the Arshigo know that they are out there, somewhere, thanks to the past revealed by one of their members. Rio, then a Patroller of the Arshigo Pack, told Medenagen, their Alpha, that he was once one of the Keva'al and that without a doubt his sister, Asrai, the Alphess of the Keva'al, was probably on her way back. The news was a shock in more ways than one putting Medenagen and the pack on guard. Uncertainty fell in along with a sense of dread of what could be to come. The presence of the Keva'al Pack was not yet confirmed, but the possibility of them lurking was too great a risk to take a chance that they were not. New strangers around the lands were treated with extra caution and more inspection before being allowed to enter the pack ranks, Rio giving the final clearance since he had the best idea of what to look for, having lived with the enemy during his youth.

Unfortunately, the Keva'al wolves are not the only problem out in the world. The Dirac had begun to have a bit too much fun at th expense of others, their leader, Sachel, especially so. A face from Arshigo's past has entered the territory, unfortunately happening upon the Dirac Pack on her goal to get back to Arshigo. The encounter was less than pleasant for her and caused great friction between the two. Several arguments erupted before she finally stormed off on her own. However, there was an Arshigo Scout, Keiran, watching from the shadows to report on Sachel due to an earlier encounter the Dirac wolf had with Medenagen. The information of the whole affair was relayed back to the Arshigo leader, who was both stunned and appalled by what he heard. For the first time in generations, a leader of the Arshigo Pack departed the safety of their lands to go seek out another wolf. You see, this female who encounter Sachel was none other than Tache, one of Medenagen's siblings. The treatment he heard she had received from Sachel enraged him enough to cause him to go out to track down the Dirac leader to give him a piece of his mind.

Back elsewhere, Tache had run into Rio after running away from Sachel. There seemed to be promise that she would make her goal, but did not want to tell all to anyone but Medenagen. She kept a secret with her from when she left the lands and was journeying back to finally reveal it to her brother. Unfortunately, while she tried to find ways to explain herself to the Arshigo Patroller, Sachel, once again, crashed the party. Words were exchanged between the three of them before the Dirac Alpha stormed off to parts unknown. What was in his head now was only known to him, which could be a dangerous prospect to anyone not in the right light in his eyes.

After Sachel had left, a most wondrous and unusual thing occurred. Rio and Tache began to fall for each other. What started out as a standard inquisition to see whether someone was safe to let into the Arshigo lands turned into more deeply felt feelings and ties. The bonds between them grew to a point where their desires led to a point of courtship, and then beyond. Tache, not yet officially part of the Arshigo Pack again, and Rio, not even ranked as second in command, did what was only meant for the lead pair to do in a pack; they mated. They mated without even the consent of the pack leader. Whatever would happen to them after they told Medenagen was anyone's guess, but Tache felt she had more to worry about the secret she held rather than the unheard of act between she and Rio.

Meanwhile, Medenagen had managed to travel all the way to Paeril Cliffs, just outside Dirac borders, in search of Sachel. There, he was met with a blizzard and was forced to abandon his goal for the time being to seek out shelter. The shelter he found was already occupied by none other than Asrai. Their pack scents washed off from travel and storm, neither knew the other's identity. Asrai, the Alphess of the Keva'al, did notice the unusual opportunity that had then come her way. The other occupant of the cave was strong and healthy, far enough into his years to be assured he had lived well with no deforming ailments, yet still in his prime. The idea formed in her mind that this stranger would make a good sponsor for her offspring. He would be an ideal candidate for strong, healthy youth for the next generation of the Keva'al Pack. Thus, she set to work to seduce him while they were trapped their from the weather, taking full advantage of the season and her state. All the signs were there that something was amiss, but the scent so thoroughly filling the air in the cave threw Medenagen's senses askew so that he fell into her trap. Neither of them knew the full extent of what they had done. Neither knew that one day, they would be encountering again, on opposite ends of a battlefield. The twisted nature of Asrai's plans would come back to haunt them all in time.

Ah, but that wouldn't be Asrais' only problem in the future. Dissension was growing in some of the Keva'al ranks. Deals were being made between the Alpha of the pack, Vengeance, who had be given the position despite not being Asrai's mate, and a loner that could jeopardize the way Asrai was running things. Little plans were being made by some of the members for their own ideas though Asrai still held control. Whether or not the plans would come to be could have a great determination on the future of the pack and its war with Arshigo. Now, with pups in the mix for the future, what would all their plans be? Would the dissension continue to grow to the surface, or be pushed to an unspoken secret for those who knew while they waited for a better time for their actions? Only time would tell the tale.

During all the chaos between the packs, the Levisaer Clan was having problems of its own. Their leader, Fingolfin, mysteriously disappeared for near a year's time, leaving another, Chaya, in charge during his absence. The Dirac had played a prank while he was gone, though it was rather a harmless one. Still, they had breached the territorial borders and caused a further dislike for their pack. Once he had returned, it looked as though things would be on the up-and-up for the clan once more. However, even the appearance of other felines did not help them. The numbers in the Levisaer remained low as those who were members wandered off for reasons unknown. Perhaps it was due to the drought the previous summer and fall that had pushed prey farther off than normal. Perhaps it was just because of the changes in leadership. Whatever the reason, dwindling numbers are never a good sign for the life of a group. The question on Fin's mind was would they recover?

[Medenagen]

Part IV - Disaster Strikes

All the planning in the world can't prevent disaster from striking. While Levisaer, Dirac, Arshigo, and Keva'al went on their way, worrying about everyday things, a disaster was building. Obliviously, they went on with their lives. Fingolfin worked on growing the size of his lynx clan by speaking with lynx who came near and also tried to strengthen the bonds of the few that were already Levisaer. Medenagen worried about what Keva'al would do next, becoming more cautious and testy with strangers and sending out his scout, Keiran, once again to see if anything about Keva'al could be found out. Sachel, leader of Dirac, sought out a member of Arshigo to finally put to rest his feelings and the possibility he saw of their future before turning his sights back to his own pack and wondering how to repair their dwindling status. Keva'al, as usual, was set on building their strengths and finding a way to get their long desired revenge. All of everything was going to change.

Abattu, a dormant volcano in Keva'al lands, woke in a fury of ash and pumice. The lands nearest the mountain were forever changed as the volcano vented its force. Trees down the mountainside were snapped and the remaining snows were melted into a deadly and fast moving slurry called a lahar. The lahar washed downhill and dumped into lower-lying ranges until it lost its momentum, leaving a grey path of silt and debris behind it. Ash from the volcano spread high and wide, covering the ground nearest the volcano deeply. What wasn't destroyed in the blast was left undesirable for inhabitants, forcing out the food supply until enough of the land could start to repair itself to be habitable once more.

Keva'al was wrenched from their home and many perished or were lost during the eruption. The Alpha Female of the pack, Asrai, was one of those missing in action, leaving her daughter, Shenzi, to fight over leadership with the Alpha Male, Vengeance. Landless and with a decrease in pack size, life had changed dramatically for the Keva'al wolves. They now had new challenges to conquer so that someday they could try to take on Arshigo again.

Arshigo dropped to a lesser state as well as members went missing. The harsh winter was unofficially to blame, but the fact that there were so many gone left was more troubling than why they had disappeared. In the midst of the trouble, Medenagen found a mate in Eiji Oruse and, for the first time in years, Arshigo had a lead female in the pack, not to mention pups on the way. Hope was not something that had been there in a long time.

Sachel found Dirac in a worse state with few members as well. While he had been away, however, two of his pack's members had mated and were expecting a litter of pups. They kept it a secret, but that would not last forever. It was only a matter of time before it became obvious and the pups were born. The two lovers were left to wonder with trepidation as to what their leader's reaction would be when he found out.

Levisaer came to a worse fate. The lynx clan dwindled despite the Rajah's best efforts. Then, their own disaster sealed the clan's fate. Their leader, Fingolfin, encountered a wolverine in a foul mood along with a young lynx. To protect the youngster, Fin got in the way and started to fight the wolverine. He made a slip up in the fray and could not rally a defense to hold off the wolverine's wrath. With their leader dead, Levisaer is no more.