Land of Ashes [Iluq - OPEN]

Kynn was resting in the fresh sun of the day. He felt a bit chilled that morning and so sprawled himself out, back against a warm rock for a nice nap. How he loved sleep. It was quite the energy booster, aside from feeding. He however was not hungry now, for he had eaten a hare towards dawn and it still felt warm in his belly. The wolf let out a heavy, content sigh as he craned his neck back towards his shoulders and stretched out his legs. He felt all kinked up from walking all last night, and if he could stretch forever, he would. He always felt a bit of rejuvenation after each one, it was a pleasurable feeling. The sounds of the forest lulled him into a light sleep. He took the infamous ‘Wolf Nap’. He would doze for, maybe ten minutes, and then simply open his eyes and observe his surroundings before lowering his lids and repeating the process over and over. It was nearing noon when he was startled out of his snooze by a bellowing scream. It alarmed him, since the first thing that came to mind was he was about to be mauled by the hard hooves of the mother of the fawn he had eaten the previous day. But no, hardened feet and blazing eyes did not meet him. Instead, the strange sight of a large Caribou bull coughing and sputtering in the meadow greeted his vision.

At first, the wolf was confused and utterly annoyed. Pipe down, would ya? He thought bitterly as he sat up and yawned loudly. Kynn was about to bark out something that most would consider offensive, when a horrid odor made him gag. What the…? He squinted his eyes and made a disgusted face. He knew Caribou smelled bad, but he didn’t think they ignored their hygiene up to this point. Feeling no desire to pick a fight, Kynn strayed toward the bull in the short grass so that he was seen easily. He made his moves weren’t provocative, since he knew he was well outweighed and outmuscled. This bull could hand him his own rump on a silver platter and he wasn’t about to go sorting his fights out where the odds were against him. “Hey, Pal, you’ve got to tell me what flower you rolled in this morning, your scent is to die for.” He rasped with a chuckle, giving his tail a limp wag to show he was not meant to be seen as a threat. Kynn stopped a meter or two away from the bull and sat down, facing him curiously. There was something odd about him, and not just his vile stench. His appearance was not that of the muscular proud bulls he had seen before. No, this one seemed…weak, vulnerable. And the look in his eye was almost a fearful one. Kynn’s gut dropped and he felt as though he would be ill. His eyes were the filmy color of that of the dead, not the blind.

Fear suddenly seized his heart but he did his best to remain calm. “Hey… are you alright? You don’t look too good there, Stag.” He asked suddenly, offering a sympathetic look. How strange it was, predator asking prey about their wellbeing. Kynn was not of the norm, and he didn’t mind that. He liked being different. It wasn’t often you saw a wolf strolling down the forest path with a young buck at his side chatting away like they were best friends. Yet it has happened before, and Kynn truly likes having companions that are not of his own species. His diet may be hard to get over for some, but if the wolf really liked that animal, he would either alter his intake subtly or eat alone so he wouldn’t disturb them. Kynn quickly snapped back to reality and glanced toward the safety of the forest. Should he just leave and be on his way, abandoning the larger creature? Something tugged at the wolf’s conscious and told him to stay. Seeing something as large and intimidating as a bull Caribou look mortified was something that should spike any and all curiosity within.

In all honesty, Kynn was not expecting silence from the bull. He expected a snappy comeback to his slight teasing, but he got none. It made him a bit confused. Was he a mute, one to never utter a word in their lifetime? The thought of having a tongue and not being able to use it gave Kynn an inner chill that he wished to be rid of. He watched carefully and warily when the bull looked at him with a heated gaze and pinned his ears. The base of the wolf’s tail tingled with a sense of urgency, as if his body was ushering him to leave before he was trampled. But no, he remained planted to the ground, shifting his jaw at the loud gurgling in the Caribou’s belly. He furrowed his brown and tilted his head when the sound came yet again. “You know, we’re in a field of grass. If you’re that hungry then just—” Kynn had no time to finish his sentence, for he was suddenly stunned beyond anything he had ever witnessed.

In a matter of seconds, the bull’s belly split and his guts splattered on the ground beneath him, a sickening wet sloshing sound following as his fluids drained from his now literal empty body. Kynn was too shocked to move, speak, or even breathe. His eyelids had never been peeled so far back as he gaped at the Caribou’s intestines, jaw dropped. “What the fuck?!” He suddenly yelped, standing and staggering to the side where he promptly emptied his stomach contents onto the green morning dew slicked grass. Never before had he seen something so revolting, so horrid that it made him vomit. What was this monstrosity that was now walking toward him, dragging his freshly dumped entrails alongside him? Kynn’s instincts screamed at him to run, and he turned sideways as if to flee from the approaching monster. When he stepped forward, Kynn hastily took several steps back. “J—just stay where you are. Don’t move.” He urged carefully. He couldn’t drag his eyes away from the rotted looking guts, and it made him want to vomit again though there was nothing left inside him. Kynn’s conscious told him to reassure the bull, as if words would help. He couldn’t stop the words as they spilled quickly from his mouth as a loud slur of rubbish. “You’ll be alright, I’ll help you fix yourself up. You’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna be fine, aren’t you?”

The bull’s hoarse voice cut through the air and made Kynn’s skin crawl. Involuntarily, his hackles rose as adrenaline surged through his body, his subconscious preparing him for a fight. He tried to calm himself as he shakily responded. “Uhh, my name is Kynn.” He managed to choke out, momentarily pulling his gaze off the guts on the ground. "We’re in the Arkose Meadow, I’ve been here for the past few days. What the hell happened to you? This is impossible!” He gasped, painfully looking at the wounded bull. A beast that was once proud and strong was now withered and rotting. Literally. What was standing in front of the wolf was no longer a being of this earth. It was a monster, a grotesque creature that crawled from hell. What other excuse would it have for walking amongst the living? The bull was right, he was dead. And he shouldn’t be talking.

Kynn's legs began to tremble. He grimaced at his partially digested breakfast and quickly walked a few yards to the right and sat down. After sharing his name and their location, the Reindeer seemed to calm a bit, which in turn, gave Kynn some reassurance. It didn’t look like the hulking beast was going to attack him anytime soon. What this thing in front of him was, was not normal. It shouldn’t be possible. The wolf was not a believer of magic and witchcraft, dead was dead, alive was alive, he was at the top of the food chain and that’s all that mattered to him. There wasn’t room for anything else, there shouldn’t be room for the dead to defy the natural orders of the earth! It just…wasn’t possible. Yet here they were, staring at each other, life against death. The wolf suppressed a shudder when the Reindeer began to explain his story. He had come across bottles? What were bottles? Reluctantly his hackles prickled again around his shoulders, causing a crest to form down his back. This was strange to him, and he was unsure if these…bottles would come for him now and turn him into a monster such as the one in front of him. Kynn held back any questions or remarks and let the beast continue with his story.

When he thought he was done, the wolf cleared his throat and shakily spoke. “That’s quite the sacrifice. I… I hope she is well— your friend.” What the hell was a potion? Had not it been for the Reindeer’s appearance, Kynn would have thought him crazy and bolted for the woods before the creep had begun to spew more lies. But, considering the circumstances… He suddenly began to speak at the same time, running over the bull’s first staggering sentence.

“Had you know that the—” He caught himself and bit his tongue, allowing the stranger to finish telling his story. The wolf began to shake his head at the bull’s apologies, deeming with his eyes they weren’t necessary, despite the fact it was all he could do not to urinate all over himself. “Don’t apologize to a wolf, Iluq. The next thing you know, I’ll be chewin’ on your hide since you made me lose my meal. And by that point, I won’t be apologetic.” The threat was empty, for he had no intentions of harming the bull, but he had made a good point. Prey should never thank those who hunt them for food. No matter how close they were.

The wolf sat there a moment in silence, composing himself. This bull, Iluq, had drunk a “magic” potion that basically killed him. Well, that’s something you don’t hear every day. A million questions ran through his mind, but he chastised himself for wanting to be so picky and nosy. He settled on asking the question he had begun to ask earlier. “The…potion? The potion you drank, did you know of its affects beforehand?”

Kynn cautiously stood and shuffled back another step when the creaking and groaning of Iluq’s bones stretched out through his thick skin. The bull lay flat on the ground, beckoning the wolf with an invitation to feast upon his rotting carcass. For the purpose of consoling himself, Kynn forced a faint laugh. “I’m not that hungry, my friend. I’d rather chew off my own feet.” While most predators, including himself, would leap at the opportunity at a meal the size of this bull. Any other day, Kynn would have downed as much meat as he could by now, but since Iluq was talking and walking… At this point, Iluq wasn’t on the menu. He was off—way, way, waaay off. The wolf was still on edge and his paws tingled. He noted that the bull wasn’t blinking, and it made him uncomfortable. Gah, can you at least pretend to be alive? He begged mentally, not feeling the need to say it aloud. Obviously the bull was new to…being dead. If Kynn were in his position, he wouldn’t want some stranger mocking him, so he held his tongue.

After asking all of his questions, Iluq began to reply. But first, he heaved himself up from his side onto his belly and Kynn readjusted himself on the ground, ready for the answers he was longing to hear. Black liquid? Green fumes? What the hell was it? What was it made of, who created it? He was itching to question Iluq further, but he wasn’t sure the bull would know. Still, who would make a drink so vile and revolting to the taste and appearance, and have it affects harm one in such a way? What could possess someone to do such a thing, to curse someone like that? The thought of meeting the being capable of such evil made Kynn shiver, and as if he knew what he was thinking about, Iluq warned him against drinking anything like that.

Kynn quickly shook his head and bared his teeth in distaste. The look of disgust was replaced with a sudden expression of amusement as the wolf let a toothy grin cross his face. “Not to insult your wits, Old sport, but I wouldn’t be as stupid to drink something with that beautiful exterior. I mean, come on, Iluq, what did you think it was gonna do? Turn you into one of Santa’s Reindeer?” Kynn let out a laugh to show the bull he was only teasing. “You don’t seem like someone who’d be so stupid. This friend of yours, where is she? You’ve obviously made some great and noble sacrifice. So where is your princess who should be thanking you night and day? Leaving you alone to deal with…this, seems a bit harsh, don’t ya think?”

The acrimonious look that flashed in Iluq’s eyes seized Kynn’s attention and he titled his head. Had he truly been that offensive to get such a glare? He shrugged inwardly. Who cared if he was getting the cold shoulder? Not him, he couldn’t care less if he made Iluq a friend or an enemy. Life was too short to brood over small things in life like that. Then, Iluq’s harsh tone cut through the tense air, catching the wolf off guard. His ear twitched and his hackles bristled a bit when the bull started to swear. “Easy, easy, Iluq. No need for any hostility. I didn't mean anything by that.” Kynn eased slowly, his tone shifting to a more defensive one. For a moment, he thought he had seriously angered the Reindeer, and his muscles tensed unwillingly, his body preparing him to fight. But then Iluq began to relax and explain more about his companion, which in turn, settled Kynn’s hackles back onto his neck.

The Reindeer then explained in a more sorrowful tone about his friend being with another. Did he sense a bit of jealously, or remorse? It was hard to tell with Iluq’s stiff features, but if he were in his social companion’s position, he would be overcome with jealousy and grief. He would hope that his female friend would not dwell with another male and instead set out to find him. He didn’t know if she was looking for Iluq as they were conversing, but who knows what kind of character she was, if she was the caring sort. Kynn didn’t care to know her, or meet her. If he had a companion so loyal and faithful enough to drink a magic potion that killed him or her in order to protect the wolf, Kynn would stop at nothing to find that friend and stick with him until the end.

The wolf cleared his throat. “Is there no known cure to this…curse? Or does your knowledge not extend as far?” He questioned, rolling his shoulders until they cracked. His joints ached and he had the urge to get up and move around. But Iluq’s story and loneliness compelled him to stay put. He cleared his throat and spoke up again. “You, Iluq, seem like a very lonely lonesome…” He left out the name ‘loser’ not wanting to kick the bull when he was already down. “Guy.” He replaced, giving him a smile. “Perhaps we could… I don’t know, find your friend. Ooh, or better yet, find you some…” Kynn started to chuckle before he could finish the sentence. “Hot, hot sexy Reindeer babe for you to woo. I mean, once you get past your god awful stench and ragged unsettling appearance, you’re not too bad. For a herbivore.” He added with another laugh.