Manik

Named as a version of Maalik or Hellfire. Canonically mated to Azrael Angel of Death

Manik came to the pack when he was a raunchy young adult wolf. He instantly fell in love with pack life in the desert, his coat colors being that of the red sands on a hot day. He had tried many positions in pack life, scout, hunter, and even trained to be the next leader. Nothing really seemed to fit with him for a while and life was more about exploring and having fun than really deciding on his role in the pack.

During one of his exciting expeditions into the desert as a learning scout, the desert was hit with one of the worst heatwaves of the summer. It was miserable, even Malik the wolf with the pelt of fire and a natural affinity for the heat was struggling to stay cool. The rest of the pack, even the hunting parties had been den bound for days as this heatwave passed.

Manik couldn't stay put in a hot den full of pups and complaining old wolves, so against his leader's advice he decided to go on a scouting mission. At least if he was going to suffer in the heat he was going to do something fun with his time. He had traveled around the borders of the desert near the river, as the healer advised. Upon his travels, he saw a hazy black spot far in the distance.

Is that some crazy animal coming out into this heat? Maybe a boar or some animal that strayed way far from the forests on the other ends of the territory. Manik decided to approach it because if it was a dying prey animal he could bring it back for the pack if it hadn't spoiled. As he got closer, through the haze of heat rays, the figure slowly became clearer and changed shape from a strange black lump to a... a wolf!

Manik shot upright to get a better look at the creature. What is a wolf doing all the way out in the desert this far from water? And shelter? He approached cautiously, making sure this was no enemy to the pack's territory. He may be a scout but he was also one hell of a fighter and he wouldn't allow a stranger to hurt his home. He had reached the wolf and with a prod of his paw into its neck he determined that they were in fact very unconscious.

Could he bring a stranger back to camp like this? This was a living creature who probably got unlucky on their travels, Manik decided to take the risk and bring her back home. He would take responsibility for her, but he would not leave a wolf to die. After a long and uncomfortable journey back home with the wolf on his back, he managed to get her a healer and together as a pack nursed her back to health.

She was a young female with an impressively low number of scars on her. For a travelling wolf that is, wihch added to the idea she was no threat to the pack. It took no time at all for her to get comfortable with the entire pack, no one disliked her and she shared tales from her journeys. Manik found himself in the healer's den many days in a row listening to her stories and sharing his own.

Two lone travelers find solace in a place they never would have expected. Azrael shared her insecurities, and he shared his. It was not long at all before they had settled into the comfortable roles of pup sitters as mates for life. They would have many litters of little pups, and they would take care of the packs for many moons more. It turns out it wasn't the profession that he fell in love with that caused him to settle, but instead a single wolf who made him feel like he bekonged so much so that he wouldn't have cared where he was. As long as it was with her.

see Azrael "Angel of Death"