A Mountain Stirs

Unbeknownst to Lord Cyphel, on that day his morning stroll was being observed by a watchful eye.

Croweye was a ferret well past her prime--her once brown and creamy fur was splashed with grey patches all over, and her face was haggard and beginning to wrinkle with age. Yet, her sharp yellow and green-flecked gaze watched the badger intently as he wandered about the shore; safe at her vantage point behind a great sand dune. She held a spear within her paws, although she was using it with the intent of a support as opposed to an actual weapon. She never moved a muscle as she surveyed the badger's progress, not even to shoo an inquisitive fly that pestered her ear. Still as a statue, her eyes were locked on the badger's form entirely, her expression as solemn as can be. To an onlooker it would've made a strange sight--a ferret frozen in time, appearing to stare off towards the shore. One might even think she was part of the scenery--her fur was certainly a color now where she could've been mistaken for a dusty chunk of rock from a distance while she was immobile.

Seconds ticked away as the mysterious creature watched the badger, watching him pick up the shell and watching him wander back inside; never once moving. A rather uncharacteristic thing for a 'vermin' to do, as one would have most likely expected Croweye to try and attack the badger, or at least haggle him, as vermin tend to. But an onlooker wouldn't have known that the ferret was on orders--and not one of those orders were for her to harm anybeast. Her orders were to seek out, observe, and report back. Two-thirds of her task were completed when the badger vanished back within the great mountain.

The second the doors of Salamandastron shut behind Cyphel, the ferret seems to be broken from a trance. In a trice was she up on her feet and speeding away from the dunes and the mountain, back towards the lowlands and the edges of the luscious forests of Mossflower from where she had apparently come. For a creature her age, Croweye ran with surprising speed. She almost seemed to glide over small rocks and dunes as they gave away into flatland and shrubbery. The light silver armor she adorned clinked and clanked a little as she ran, and soon age did indeed began to catch up to her in the form of labored breaths. However, Croweye was otherwise silent in her hurry.

Soon, sparse trees began to appear at her sides, and Croweye found herself swept up by forest. Once under the canopy of sun-tinged green, the ferret slowed herself down to a walk. Catching her breath, Croweye shuffled onwards, her once eerily expressionless depiction now replaced with one of concern. The ferret glanced about into the vast ocean of shrubs and trees worriedly, tightening her grip upon her spearshaft. The old ferret appeared lost, or searching for something she could not find. She stumbled forwards more into the green unknown, until, finally, impatience and concern finally overtook her.

"My Lordess?" She hissed out into the green realm, her creaky voice sounding quiet under the canopy. "Where are ya'?"

"Here."

The deep rumble of a voice caused Croweye to spin around at once, and be be faced with perhaps the largest mammal to ever step on Mossflower lands. The silhouette was huge in both height and length, covered in a layer of thick grey armor that glinted dully in the sparse sunbeams that filtered through the trees. Croweye did not hesitate, she immediately bowed on one knee, using her spear as a support as drooped her head low with respect. She dared not meet the eyes of the monstrous creature before her, even if the ferret did not bring bad news. Even bowing there did she feel a cold gaze, filled with the intensity of a creature that knew only hatred and hellish rage. It sent shivers of awe and fear up the ferret's back, and she felt even smaller in this gargantuan's presence. She tensed instinctivley as the shaft of a massive axe-pike, probably triple or quadruple the ferret's size, smacked against the earth by the monster's feet with a dull thud.

The huge creature's voice was a deep, loud growl, similiar to a powerful thunderclap. Its voice was laden with grim seriousness and a rage barely kept under wraps. It only intimidated and awed the aging ferret even more.

"Your report, Croweye."

Croweye felt her voice squeak and stutter a little as she replied, "T-The mountain, yer' Lordship, 'tis true alright. I - I clapped me eyes upon it, jus' a couple o' leagues away from where we stand. A g - great mountain, yer' Lordship, just as 'em Mossflower creatures described. A - An' not only that, I managed t' see its ruler."

A growl resounded in response, showing neither displeasure or approval at Croweye's report, only a coldness that appeared to make the very atmosphere about them cold and foreboding.

"And? Describe them, Croweye."

"'T - Tis a badger, alright. An ol' lookin' feller, but 'e still looks like a seasoned warrior from 'ead t' toe, much like yerself, yer' L - L - Lordship. I watched 'im take a stroll on the shore and go back in th' mountain. 'E doesn' look like he's an ally of the foebeast, yer' Lordship, b - but that's up for ye to decide, of course--!!" Croweye dropped even lower in her bow, worried that her assumption on things might sour the creature's mood. Yet, all she received in response was silence.

A stiff silence, like a calm before some kind of storm. The great beast before her stayed quiet for a while, and Croweye kept her head down to the dirt--even if the position was starting to cramp the aging ferret's muscles. Only a slight relief was brought when the silence was shattered once more by that vicious-sounding voice.

"You did well, Croweye. Your orders now are to report back to the army, and spread word that they are not to move from where they are currently camped. They are free to eat and wander a little, but not too far. They are to wait for my arrival, which I am considerin' to be around mid-day. Is that clear, Croweye?"

"Aye, clear as can be, yer' Lordship!" Croweye nodded vigorously, preparing to stand herself up and bound off into the trees with her assigned mission. However, another growl froze her in mid-movement.

"And Croweye?"

"....A - Aye, yer' Lordship?"

Croweye forced herself to stare dead-on into the monstrous beast's eyes. Icy blue, they appeared to glow in any light. They burned with such a hatred intensity that Croweye felt the fur standing on the back of her neck by looking into them.

"If any of you sight any foebeasts while I'm away, you are to slay them on the spot or capture them for me to destroy! Do I make myself clear?"

"A - Aye, Aye!"

A huge, boulder-sized paw pointed off into the abysses of green behind it. "Now, go!"

Croweye didn't waste time. In a trice, she was gone, leaving only the giant beast in the clearing.

The grip upon the massive axe-pike tightened, responding in a a noteable creak of metal under intense pressure. Truly, the axe-pike was made for a beast as powerful and ruthless looking as its wielder, who walked with such a fierce and primitive air that the branches and bushes themselves seemed to shrink back in terror of this alien monster that had come to their world. Her footsteps were heavy upon the earth, which soon began to give away to sand as the behemoth trekked towards the dunes, as she trekked towards the mountain Croweye had reported to her.

It was not long after that the beast had come to the dunes and was now walking upon the morning shore of the Western Coast. Morning sun reflected off her thick armor and the sharp blades of her massive axe-pike, and glinted in those intense, icy-blue eyes. A seagull that had taken to land upon the ground a while ahead of the creature took only one look, before flapping off into the sky in a noisy panic. The gargantuan only acknowledged the bird for but a moment, before continuing on her way, out in the open--straight towards the great mountain fortress upon the shore.

There was a good chance this was going to be a morning that Salamanadastron would never forget.

The beast was huge from a distance, a great, grey-furred creature with its mighty battle armor and its enormous axe - pike gripped tightly in massive hand. With every step it got closer and closer, and the closer it came to view the larger it appeared to get. The beast walked without fear of any kind of attack. Its focus was entirely upon the mountain itself; the intense and icy gaze locked soley upon it.

Those same icy eyes caught the glimpse of movement in the higher chambers that was Deila Frossworth as the hare moved away from her post and down the mountain. The garguantuan seemed unfazed at the idea of being spotted, merely releasing a soft growl as it came up to the very base of the mountain before finally coming to a halt. The axe-pike shaft slammed into the sand, the great weapon standing to height with its wielder. Truly, whatever the monster was, it was not a native creature to Mossflower. In fact, it looked more like it belonged in a terrified babe's closet or some kind of nightmare, with its massive size and those horrid eyes that seemed to glow with only anger and hatred; tinged pink with the undeniable truth of Bloodwrath. The beast looked over the mountain, examining it in its entirety in total silence.

The beast looked like some kind of primitive monolith, standing there on the shore, gripping the shaft of the axe-pike tightly as it gazed fearlessly up the muontain-side. A woosh of hot air left its nostrils, causing a small and impatient grunting noise to hiss from between the beast's thick lips, quickly showing a tiny flash of razor-sharp teeth. Indeed did this monster look like every bit of a barbaric warlord from some far off realm, where perhaps even more terrifying things dwelt. It was alien to Mossflower, that was certain.

The beast waited in silence a couple minutes more before its patience quickly snapped. It growled softly and stepped back a pace, before throwing back its head and roared at the top of its lungs, in such a booming voice that it would have silenced earthquakes.

"--I know there are beasts living within this mighty fortress, and I know they have seen me! Peace, I say to whoever watches me from the great mountain, peace! I demand a truce, I have no desire to conquer your mountain or harm the beasts within; lest you be allies of the vermin Cresmin Fireslayer and his horde, whose blood I have vowed to bathe in! I wish to contact the leader of this mountain, and I have no tricks! I am Camilla the Wrath, and I always keep my vows, unlike the filthy scum I hunt and slay! Show yourselves to me, so I may talk!"

Camilla's bellowing voice hung in the air in the form of an echo, and just like that, all went silent again. The Wrath snarled quietly once more, as she awaited a response to her announcement.

    Delia peered out from behind the main door after Carmilla finished speaking. The roar from the beast had shaken her to the bone, but she was the only hare she knew of who had heard. What she didn't know, was that other hares near windows had heard too, and were scrambling to find Cyphel. Delia, still trying to deal with this on her own, managed to squeak out a response to the monster.

    "H-hello! W-w-we can g-get you to talk to someone! I s-s'pose you wouldn't m-mind w-waiting while I g-go get L-lo-lord Cyphel?" She managed to squeak out.

-----

    Dianthus' puns were terrible, but Cyphel couldn't help but chuckle at them. He was a sucker for puns. "A clever beast like you let a recruit get away with tying your shoes together, not sleeping on duty, I hope?" He replied with a wink. Cyphel was just about to ask Dianthus about the foot fighting later today, when another hare burst into the dining hall, out of breath.

    "Sah! You're going to want to see what's goin' on on the beach. A bloomin' nightmare's appeared demandin' ta speak with you."

    Forgetting breakfast, Cyphel stood up and watched as another three hares ran in, probably all to tell him the same thing.

    "I understand. Dianthus, come with me and help me get my armor on. I'll lend you a bow as well, no time to grab your own. No one talk to them until I'm ready. You four that just ran in, arm yourselves and meet me at the entrance to the mountain."

    Knowing Dianthus would follow him, Cyphel headed back up towards his chambers.

((OOC: If this isn't enough to reply to, let me know I will add to it.))

Camilla's gaze fell upon the hare's head that had popped out from the great front gates of Salamandastron.

Up close, she was truly a wrathful behemoth. She glared down upon the hare over the top of her massive muzzle; which was curled forever into the slightest snarl. It would've been little of a surprise if someone looked at them side-by-side, and mistaken the hare for an undersized infant. She towered and loomed, fit into her massive armor and holding the huge axe-pike in paw. She looked like a statue of some war god from legends past standing there.

But, if anyone were to be truthful, it was those eyes that must've caused the most intimidation. They locked on the young hare, that intense gaze boring into her very being. They burned with such an intense rage, it was as if her stare alone wanted to kill something. Undoubtedly, this was a monster that only knew the way of warfare and death--and seemed to have practically lived off of it. A tail that looked to be as thick as a tree trunk and as long as an adder swooshed behind her, and she regarded the hare with a single grunt.

     "Aye."

     It was nothing compared to her earth-shattering bellows, but her voice was loud and rumbly, no matter the tone she spoke in. Even when she fell silent once more, she still continued to stare at the hare, to stare at the door. Her expression remained on a state between impassiveness and some kind of mild rage as she stood, allowing a sense of suspense to clog the air.

     Apparently, she was not going to speak again until the Badger Lord showed himself.

The monster that called herself 'The Wrath' stood stock-still as time ticked by, the only movement being her fur moving in the morning sea breeze. Her presence alone seemed to have an effect on the very area about her. The breeze had suddenly began to smell sour, the waves splashed with aggressive noise against the shoreline, and clouds that seemed as if they'd never been there before were creeping up to the new sun, aiming to hide it behind their blanket of grey. In retrospect, a gloomy sky was ever-so-fitting for the beast; it matched perfectly with her hateful expression and those piercing eyes.

Her tail was the only thing that moved as she waited. It danced about, swatting at the air with a depiction of growing agitation and impatience. Seconds passed, and her patience truly began to wane. Thick, sharp claws tapped against the iron shaft of her axe-pike, and her lips began to twitch into a fiercer scowl. Yet, she somehow kept whatever growing rage within her under control--long enough for Lord Cyphel to finally come out of the mountain and face her.

When the badger strode right up to her, one thing became apparent--if there was any doubt that this beast was big, it would certainly be banished now.

For she seemed to dwarf even the Badger Lord himself!

She loomed well over a head above Lord Cyphel. That piercing gaze ripped away from the mountain and was now staring directly at the badger, and only the badger. She disregarded any of the hares about him, only on the badger himself. It was clear he was who the monster was interested in--but for whatever reason was unknown. Her expression itself never changed. It stayed frozen in that eternal scowl, and that terrible stare of her betrayed only an everlasting bitterness. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking otherwise as she loomed over Lord Cyphel, examining his entire being and judging him secretly from behind icy eyes.

There was no reaction from her when the badger laid out his orders. At least, no immediate one anyways. Instead, the frown on her face appeared to grow, and an audible creak of metal hung in the air as her grip tightened harshly upon the shaft of her axe-pike. She seemed unwilling to drop her weapon, as if she was being asked to drop something that was so dearly important to her. So important that it may have been considered a part of her.

An uneasy silence hung in the air for a couple minutes; minutes that felt like seasons.

And then with a growl, the beast nodded. "I am The Wrath, and I only spare honest and true creatures from my fury. And from what I hear, you are indeed beasts with honor. I trust your judgement. I drop my weapon." And on that note, The Wrath released the axe-pike from her paw. The mighty weapon fell like some great tree made of metal. It hit the sand ground with a loud thud, and The Wrath was unarmed. However, her eyes glinted dangerously.

"But I warn you before we speak of anything else--if you play me false or give me a reason to become your enemy, I will not hesitate to color these beaches red with my fury!" Her voice was a sharp bark, loud and earth-shattering, a pebble at her feet shuddered a little from the mighty vibrations. The beast's face had contorted into a mask of cold fury as she spoke her warning, giving an idea of how serious she was about all this. In fact, it took her a moment to recollect herself, so that she could speak normally again---although her normal tone wasn't much more friendly.

"I have come to seek you to bring important information and discuss with you things that will likely determine your future, as well as the futures of your soldiers." A pause, and another dangerous growl rumbled from The Wrath's throat. "....Specifically, your lives. Tell me, badger, have you heard of the vermin known as Cremsin Fireslayer?"

The name was spoken with such hatred, and it was emphasized by a flash of razor teeth from a snarling jaw, and icy eyes appearing to flash red for but a moment.

When The Wrath began yelling about coloring the beaches with her fury, Cyphel started to take a step back, but ended up only moving one foot back a few inches. Never before had he met a beast so full of rage. Wrath was the right name for her. When she asked about Cremsin Firelsayer, Cyphel was sure he caught a flash of bloodwrath in her eyes. Though the badger had never experienced it for himself, he had heard tales of beasts who had suffered from it. That made the situation all the more delicate.

"I do not know of this Cremsin Fireslayer. To my knowledge no such beast is in this area, my hares would know." He frowned a little as he said that. There were hares who failed to report back to the mountain. Cyphel started to wonder if maybe there was a connection between this Fireslayer and his missing patrol. Or maybe the Wrath knew something about them as well. He wasn't sure if he should broach the subject or not. The Wrath made him highly uneasy, and he knew he didn't stand much of a chance if she suddenly turned on them. He didn't want her to feel like he was accusing her of anything. He had to assume that she wasn't alone either. He brought his mind back to the present. She said she had information to share, and he wanted to know what it was.