🐉Rosvell🐉

ROSVELL'S RAMPAGE:THE NIGHT OF HELL'S FOREST

the forest had fallen to ashes. only embers were left, flickering into the suns dawn. hundreds of mixed carcasses covered the forests black ground, ranging from singed critters to slaughtered Elks and bears. just up ahead was a clearing, its only tree nearly fallen and unrecognizable; but under it twisted branches was a lone wolf, blood soaked and crying. he sang a depressed howl for his fallen, all while carrying the Devils antlers. many had wondered what had happened that exactly that horrid night- but now with the leads health failing, his story can finally be told.

"I was still an inexperienced leader when the incidents started to happen. careless even. I had only been leading The Seas Eclipse for about 3 years when I had my first death. Troy, a puppy given to me by another pack to take care of- and I failed. he was out by the borders of our old territory- and some coyotes...well you can figure out what happened. then came Brutus, another puppy I was rather excited to call my own. but he had taken ill to a spider bite we didn't even know we had.

and after those young souls were taken from me this pack seemed to had fallen into a times of Dark ages. one death after other- constant failure. each death we had stubbled upon, each more horrid than the next. Sickness, Poison, Wolves, Coyotes....The Damned Elk.

There was a single Elk that had caused nearly four lives lost here. I hated him for all the pups he'd stolen from me. I hated this forest for all its demons it held. I hated myself that- If i was just fast enough, if i paid more attention, i could've saved some of them. Then the nightmares came.

I would be running through the endless forest- nearly pitch black, the once bright moon hidden between shadowy clouds. Branches seemed to grab and pull at my sides and legs, only hard enough to keep you on edge. and just before I woke up I'd stop at a wall of fire- behind it was all the wolves and puppies I couldn't save. I'd run to the wall, Burning my face and legs- the Wall seemed hotter than a clear summers day.

I couldn't take it anymore, the nightmares, the fear and dread and the guilt of waking up. if this dream was a sign- I was going to make sure this whole goddamn forest knew. I moved my pack ahead of time to the mountain as a temporary safe haven; they were confused, and some were angrier than others but obliged anyway. I couldn't blame them. this was their home. but it was my home too- and this place reeked of death and sorrow.

I stepped into the familiar landscape for one last time- holding a lit branch i had stolen from a campsite. I walked into a barren land with our once sacred tree and caught it ablaze. like instant magic it became a tree a fire- my signal to every damned creature in this forest that does not run will be caught by my fangs of death.

to my surprise, the Elk that had terrorized my pack had shown up. I wondered if he had similar nightmares. I wondered if he felt the same guilt I did when I woke up. i wondered if he thought of me as a monster- just as i think of him. but even in out differences we both knew only one of us were going to make it out alive in this forest.

I called him my "Petunia" you're free to figure out the meaning, if your curiosity sees it fit. I wouldn't be surprised if he called me a bastard. mortal enemies born infecting each other until one of us dies. here we stood- the two greater halves of predator and prey. the fire around us licked at our feet, absorbing the dry land. and as the starving fire grew as so did our rage.

Petunia had started first- knocked me into the air as i stood in a clouded daze. by miracle or curse his antlers had avoid the most of my heart. when I landed onto the rocky ground I still hesitated to react; I believe a large part of me wanted to die that night. to bleed out my sins of those I swore to protect but still failed into doing so. how could I call myself a true leader if i couldn't protect the weakest and youngest of our group? a hoof here and there- a rib most likely broken. Petunia had kicked and kicked, picked me up and tossed me around. any fight I ever though i had turned into a personal betrayal. what right did i have to live? I wondered if he had felt the same. my pack had taken his children for food just as he had taken mine for being protective. we both cared about our own.

but even then- I refused to lie down and wait for the mercy of death. those pups didn't have control over their fate but I did. letting myself die is a bigger insult to those who were forced to have their lives ended. with my remaining strength I lifted my trembling body in defiance to Petunias Punishment. I took ahold of one of his front legs, and pushed him back- the goal was to make him stumble. it worked for only a second but even when he regained his balance i made sure to keep as close as a distance as I could. my breath harassed his throat, while to low to bite on to cause any sort of injury it was enough to make him scared.

we locked into the sickening dance of "Deaths Tango" my step forward, his step back, his step forward and I back up twice. our chests became abused in each others unwanted presence. cut and bloody, our bodies worn out enough from the fighting- the fire didn't help. it came to a point where Petunias back was towards the devoured tree. even in this hellish light, ive never seen something so beautiful. before I could think my body tossed itself towards him- into the fire. instantly him and the tree became one, and as my paws and legs burned from the blacktop ground I couldn't help but stare.

I don't remember much after that. I woke up out in the golden fields of the Grass plains, grey smoke above me. it took all the strength that was left in my body to go to the tree. my wounds ached, my stomach growled. my pace was sluggish and broken, it took longer than expected to reach the spot. morning dew graced my paws from whatever grass patches were left and the morning rays guided my path to my fallen rival. burnt patches of fur and skin clung to the pile of bones that once held a soul. when I took his antlers, his livelihood, I was unsure if it was to use them as a victory, or if it was to honor his existence. I may have hated him but I still wanted him death to have a purpose.

i finally made the nearly unbearable trek back to our temporary home in the mountains. my pack obviously concerned as to where I've been, were my wounds have come from along with my supposed trophy. its only up and until now that I've finally reviled what happened. I finally reached my peace with that night, along with before and after. with my final breath I give these antlers to my kin, Costello, as a symbol to be the next lead.

until we all meet again in the Spirit Gardens, I wish you all Goodbye.

theme song: Cowboy Dan by Modest Mouse