Goodbye Friend .: Bandit Initiation:.

Kore

Kore pushed forward. Their stomach growled and in their irritation they nearly growled right back at it. They had set a steady pace for the others to follow, unwilling to stop for more then a few moments in fear of the heat finally taking all of them. The sun was high above their heads and not a cloud could been seen so there was little hope of any kind of shade.

The larger dog heard a soft sound coming from behind and assumed it to be one if their siblings whining about the pain in their belly, or the lack of water, or the heat. Really the list could go on, but the more thought that they put into it, the more they found that their irritation climbed. With a huff they forced the thoughts back and soon after heard a kind of thud from behind them. Their hackles raised slightly, expecting something to be there ready to pounce on one of their siblings. However they were more then happy to see that Bandit had just fallen. Soon they began to feel tiredness seeping into their legs from the near constant motion.

"Maybe we could all use a short rest."

Hawkesbury

Hawkes lumbered on hardly managing to stay ahead of Bandit as her stomach constricted, telling her what she already knew. Quietly growling she hardly noticed the sandy texture of her own tongue as brushed again the roof of her mouth. She was struggling to stay optimistic and with each pawstep over the baking sand she felt her head start to hang. Her panting had gotten increasing raspy after they’d left the last water hole and her mood increasingly sour.

Whining was heard throughout the line, no one asked what was wrong anymore, no one had the energy. Hearing her brother tumble behind her and she turned with a small snarl and made her way back to him, looking down on him for a moment before leaning down and giving his shoulder a rough shove. Pausing at Kore’s words she simply nodded before giving her brother another shove, “Get up you clutz.” she tried to sound aggressive but the hoarseness of her voice took out any of the tones. Irritated with herself she nipped his shoulder before sitting heavily on her own haunches panting in exhaustion.

Zira

Zira stumbled forward, growling in irritation as she almost tripped over he own paws once again. Her vision was blurry, and the heat from the sun didn't help either. But still, she pushed foward, close behind Kore who was currently in the lead. How long was this going to last? She didn't even know why anyone was bothering to try anymore. She was practically certain that she and her siblings would die out in this wasteland.

Her ear flicked every once in awhile, picking up on the whining of her siblings behind her. She was irritated from hearing it so much, but she didn't even have the energy to be angry anymore. A loud thump made her turn, however, and her eyes landed on Bandit, sprawled out in the sand. She watched Hawkes nudge him roughly and growl out a command for him to get back onto his paws. Zira scoffed at Kore's words but sat down anyways. "How much longer are we going to bother doing this?" She asked, looking up at Kore. She just wanted to give up already.

Vatusia

Though the Eye of Zonje burned into her pelt, Vatusia never faltered in her course. She was out on an investigation and even now she was steeling herself for whatever was to come. Glancing back at her fellow Seeker, she kept up the pace beside her, confident that the two of them could handle whatever was coming their way. Their Sentry subordinates had emerged from a watchtower not long ago, speaking in hushed tones of a small group of dogs heading towards The Following. They were probably wayward dogs, lost in the desert’s harsh uniformity (and unaware of whose territory they were stumbling into), but the bitch was ready for anything. And, not wanting to cause a scene, Vatusia was soon slipping out of sight of the other dogs, heading in the direction these intruders were seen in.

As they reached the top of a sand dune, a muted thump met her perked ears. Searching for the source of the sound, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as the pack finally came into view and she paused, studying them from afar. They were fatigued, that much was evident as one dog helped another from the uncertain stability of the sand below. Distracted by their fallen comrade, the group of four had yet to take notice of the two Seekers before them. Good, she thought, not one to rush headlong into an unknown situation. Though her stature wasn’t particularly impressive, the red dog stood at her full height, the intensity of her posture and glare enough to intimidate the unweary, especially from the crest of the dune above. She looked at Nyx from the corner of her eye and nodded curtly to show she was ready to confront these strangers whenever she was.

Nyx

She had been speaking in hushed tones to one of the Following's Sentries when another of the same had rushed to her with news of a group of weary dogs nearing their beloved city. The conversation had been cut short as Nyx quickly departed to find her ranking comrade, Vatusia, only to hear that she had also been informed. The darker of the two was glad for this, as she did not have the patience to head off a herd of pups begging for refuge by herself.

The Seeker's face was wrinkled with a light scowl as she looked down at the approaching family, taking note of their condition their lofty vantage point. They were weak, that was for certain..then again they usually were. It was not easy to survive this harsh world. Even with the large and productive city not all dogs could make it.

She peered over at the red Seeker just as her head bobbed, and Nyx nodded as well. Might as well get this over with. Her white paws sank into the soft, hot sand as she began to descend the dune, the white and brown cape on her back shifting forward from the downward slant of her body and her many bells singing and ringing in various tones with each move made.

As the hit the base of the large sand mound Nyx stalled a heartbeat to be sure Vatusia remained at her side before she began the swift approach to the ambling group.

"All of you, stop. What's your purpose coming here?" The Seeker commanded sharply as she halted before the gathering.

Bandit

Bandit let out a yelp as Hawkes nudged him, instead of getting back to his paws, her forcefulness only managed to make him fall in the other direction, whimpering softly as he tried to stand. Lately, the mild teasing from the others that he was used to had become so much.. More violent.. Sighing, he trembled as he got on all fours, trying his best to just stay on his paws.

Then the words of his sibling allowed him to flop back down into the warm sand, his breathing shallow and weak as his eyes began to shut. Was this it...? Maybe.. Death wouldn't be so bad.. it had to be less painful than living.. Before he could dwell on it too long, his thoughts were cut off by an unfamiliar set of figures coming towards their little group..

'What's your purpose coming here?' The voice sounded feminine... Bandit sat up and tried to focus on the figures. Two dogs.. Noticeably female.. They had a prideful stature to them.. And they looked healthy.. Had this been a sign of good hunting soon? Or.. He began to think about her words again. "We were looking for others-" he barked, immediately regretting his decision to speak up. He was not the leader, hence talking for the group was probably going to get him a torn ear or a bite to the haunches..

Kore

At Zira's words Kore wanted to snap at her, retort by saying they would keep going until they couldn't anymore, but the sounds of someone coming stopped the words. Kore watched as the two dogs approach with a held breath. They looked rather strong, well fed and healthy, things that none of them were. They were almost certain that, despite outnumbering the two, in a fight they would almost be guaranteed to lose. The scenarios played out in their mind and made their hackles rise; as they forced their breathing to remain steady as prepared for some kind of attack. The question threw them off for a moment and in the absence of their own answer, Bandit began to give his own.

They eyed their younger brother just as he realized his mistake and gave him a low growl as a warning not to do so again. Focus was once more directed at the two strangers as Kore straightened their posture. They kept their tone low as they spoke, "We're looking for somewhere to stay, a pack."

Hawkesbury

Plopping down in the sand Hawkes was glad that Kore was letting them take a short break. However it seemed as soon as her chin hit the sand a voice addressed them and she slowly lifted her head to try to get a better look. Two small but rather scary looking dogs had found them and hopefully meant well, when Bandit’s voice answered rather than the voice of Kore she turned to look at her runt brother in surprise. Whipping back around at Kore’s warning growl her tongue flicked out for a moment, greeted her nose, and returned to it’s place as she lowered her head. She knew it hadn’t been directed at her but a level of respect for her older siblings and slightly larger size compared to Bandit is what kept her on their good side when she was the one to fall in the sand.

Turning back to the newcomers she squinted trying to get a clear view of them and for once she was grateful of her dark fur on the desert. After a few blinks she could get a pretty clear picture of the females the red one was smaller but in all honesty a lot scarier than her larger friend. Watching with perked ears she slowly made her way to her paws despite how her legs practically begged her not too and watched the situation cautiously. Kore was smart surely they’d make sure that these two didn’t slaughter them all here...hopefully.

Zira

Zira let out a soft huff as Hawkes pushed Bandit over on his side again. She wanted to make a comment but her thoughts were stopped short as she noticed two figures approaching the small pack. Zira's vision had become rather blurry awhile ago so she had to squint and blink a few times to make them out more clearly. Both of them were obviously female, one smaller than the other and red in color. Both of them had glares set on their faces and Zira could feel her hackles beginning to raise as they continued to stare her and her siblings down. One of them spoke soon enough, however. What's your purpose coming here? The question confused Zira. They were out in the middle of the desert, weren't they? But these two dogs looked well fed and one of them was even wearing some kind of cloak so she guessed that they were from some kind of pack.

Zira narrowed her eyes at Bandit who decided to answer them before Kore could, and she was kind of surprised Kore didn't do more than just growl at him. She looked back over at the two strangers, waiting to see what they might do. If they were here to fight, odds were that they would triumph the small pack easily, but Zira wouldn't mind just being put out of her misery already.

Vatusia

Following her comrade down the side of the dune, Vatusia watched the next exchange quietly, noting the obvious rankings within the tiny pack from their body language towards one another. The one that seemed to be their leader spoke up with a vague explanation and Vatusia turned her attention towards them specifically, staring them down before finally speaking.

”Everyone in this entire desert is looking for shelter, in one capacity or another,” the red bitch scoffed dismissively, evidently unimpressed with what they had to say. ”What makes all of you different? What makes any of you worthy of it?” The Seeker didn’t want to seem like there was an open invitation, or even that they had any shelter to give at all. But if these roaming dogs really were just looking for a place to stay as they claimed, Vatusia wanted to ensure that they would be of some use and not just more mouths to feed. From where she stood, she inspected each of them. They were underfed and worn from their journey, sure, but they seemed young with a good amount of strength to them. But she wouldn’t let them know she thought that. Instead, the female gave out an uninspiring snort and looked toward Nyx, waiting for what she had to say.

Nyx

The slightly larger female kept her sharp eyes focused on the group of dogs before them, her gaze slowly flicking from one dog to the other. In her opinion they were all weak..but roamers usually were. She noted their reactions to the small brindle that had spoken up, though her expression never shifted. It was obvious he was the omega of the group..the punching bag. But the fact that they had worked together to survive made her wonder of their potential.

"Many dogs come looking for sanctuary and many are turned away. We need useful dogs, not scavengers looking for free handouts." she growled as she pinpointed each dog with her honey brown eyes. Yes, a potential Follower would be expected to work for their little slice of heaven and Nyx wasn't one to let anybody slide. She had earned her rank as Seeker for a reason..she was unafraid..eager even..to execute the unworthy.

Bandit

Bandit whimpered softly and stared at the two females. He loved his family, even if the feeling wasn't mutual.. But at this point he wanted to just be away from them.. He wanted to be able to be respected and prove to someone. ANYONE... That he was worthy of more than just what he had.. Of being omega.

He stepped forward, rather out of character for the mutt as he intended to prove himself to these strangers. "We managed to survive out here far longer than most dogs would on their own! We are worth the chance, I assure you!" He told them, holding himself tall, even if he stood smaller than his siblings. He didn't care if he'd get beaten for it later.. His siblings were being stupid, letting their pride and ignorance get in the way of the fact that the gods had just sent them their chance at life.. At being more than crow's food!

"I promise in return for shelter and nourishment I'll do whatever is takes to prove worthy of my place with your pack. As for my siblings, I cannot say, for it isn't my decision." He wanted this.. To follow these dogs and be more than just a punching bag.. Whether his family chose to stay or not. Well... He'd survive either way.

Hawkesbury

Watching in shock she waited for Kore to speak but they seemed too shocked by Bandit to say anything. Taking a careful step to stand by her idiot little brother she kept her head level with his even if she was naturally bigger. Clicking her teeth quickly and quietly in his ear she sent him a future threat but went no further than than that. Talking another step forward the sand under her paw now holding a new possibility of hope, “I am also willing to serve in whatever way will earn me shelter.” she barked. She held her tail low and prayed that Zira and Kore would speak up and earn the respect of this blessing. She didn’t want to lose anymore of her family but if she had too... she’d... well she didn’t know what she’d do. Her brown eyes looked pleadingly to the she-dogs, surely such a well fed pack could supply a few pups enough food to begin training them to hunt for themselves.

Zira

Zira narrowed her eyes at Bandit but didn't say anything. Kore would tear into him later, that was for sure. She instead turned her attention back to the dogs in front of her. Though Zira doubted it, maybe there was a better life out there for them. That is, if they could just get out of the desert. Zira stood and walked over to join Hawkes's side. "I agree with my sister," She said, practically forcing her voice out, "I'm sure young dogs like us could be of use to you."

Vatusia

Vatusia’s eyes narrowed as the smallest loner fervently spoke up. ”We will be the judge of that,” she snapped curtly. Despite obviously being the weakest link in this small throng of wanderers, his siblings ironically followed his bold lead. Kudos for being daring enough to defy the authority of their little hierarchy, but that behavior would not bode well in the Following, where disobeying could very well mean death. ”The desperate are always so quick to swear allegiances…” she muttered skeptically before beginning again. ”I imagine you’ve all survived this far because of each other, but I wonder what use you are by yourselves. What have you done to keep yourselves alive this far? What are any of you good for? Convince us why we should even bother giving you the time of day.”

Nyx

Nyx merely scoffed under her breath, a wry grin quirking one corner of her lips as she caught Vatusia's muttered words. How true that was.

"Of course, if you want to do just... whatever ...we could always use more slaves." That was all the slightly taller of the two would say for now. She would remain quiet, her ears pressed forward, as she watched the actions and movements of each dog...catching the chattering of teeth from one sibling into the ear of the other.

Bandit

Bandit couldn't help the slight whimper that escaped him as Vatusia spoke. For a small dog she sure was scary.. He swallowed hard. The other one wasn't any nicer. Slave? He felt himself shivering a bit. This was terrifying.. Thos Following sounded horribly complex and yet.. It was a chance away from this!! He loved his siblings but.. If he was being honest.. He didn't want to be the damned Omega any more! He did nothing but be kind to them and they treated him like dirt! He clenched his jaw and shook his head. "I don't want to be a slave.. No.. But I promise I'll be loyal and follow your laws. I can't speak for anyone else.." guilt washed over him as a slight hope for them to not join him in pursuing this new home hit him..

Kore

Kore had been ready to stop their siblings from speaking out, but had thought better of it. In a manner of speaking, allowing them to say for themselves what they could do would be better then saying so for them. However they were momentarily surprised at Bandit for being the first to step forth and talking. His bravery, or stupidity, seemed to somewhat inspire the others into talking. Hawkes didn't seem to take kindly to his actions. They listened to their siblings speak up one after the other until the smaller stranger spoke up. How could they contribute? What could they do?

Once more Bandit spoke up, and Kore had heard enough from him. A light growl left them as they passed their youngest sibling as they strode forward. They kept their tone level as they spoke. "By having survived we have shown we can work with others as a team for a common goal. Our experience with teamwork and our communication skills would be valuable. Surely more so then we would be as simple slaves."

Hawkesbury

There was no way she was going to accept being a slave. She was prepared to step forward but Kore beat her to it and she side stepped not caring if she shoved Bandit over or not. Lowering her head she watched them pass and start speaking in that self-assured way that they always seemed too, there had to be some way they could show these dogs they were worth the time of day. Glancing sideways she perked her ears as an idea came to mind taking a small step forward she spoke, "If the fact that we've lived out here on our own for so long and managed to conform to a pack like lifestyle is not enough to get your attention, tell us what will." she stared up at both of them a hint a challenge in her voice. She was quickly losing her temper as they seemingly dangled the idea of shelter before them. She was not cautious like Bandit, not charismatic like Kore and not as Confident as Zira but she'd be damned if she let herself be left behind.

Zira

Zira gritted her teeth together, willing herself not to let out a growl. Me? A slave? Hmph. These dogs may be offering us help but they obviously don't know strong dogs when they see them. She looked over at Hawkes as she spoke, realizing that she was right. She walked up to Hawkes' side before she spoke, "She does have a point. We've been out in this wasteland since we were pups. That must say something about our strength, does it not?" She gazed at the two dogs before her with a determined look. While she found these two slightly rude, she knew that they were their only hope for survival.

Vatusia

A smirk flashed across the red bitch’s face at her partner’s words, but her eyes never strayed from the group of initiates as she waited for someone to reply to her question. Finally, the smallest of the pack spoke up once more, pledging his allegiance to them. Curiously…he seemed even more defiant now, even to the point of leaving the others behind. That was certainly a surprise, considering his low rank. He was ambitious, that was for sure, and though he seemed to abandon his pack’s authority, it was obvious he was smart enough to be scared of the two Seekers. Interesting. Before she could continue her thought, however, another voice piped up. It was the quieter dog this time, the alleged alpha.

”While all that may be true,” Vatusia began, finding her question unanswered. ”that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Any creature with a tongue can talk, after all. Slaves, included. Well…. most of them, anyway.” Her maw pulled into a malicious grin before going on. ”And who’s to say all of you were pulling your weight?”

Before the alpha could reply, a third dog stepped forward, shoving her brother to the side as she did so. The challenge was evident in her voice as she demanded from them, the Seekers of the Following, information. A tense, silent moment passed as Vatusia stood stock still…and began to laugh. ”Was I not clear enough for you?” she asked, her cackle ending. ”Or are you just too dumb to get it? What are you good for? All of you. Individually.” She marched forward, glaring into Hawkes’ eyes as their noses nearly met. Despite being a couple inches shorter and a good ten pounds lighter, this dog was nothing to her. If she wanted a brawl, she’d give her one.

”It would be in your best interest to keep your temper and shut your mouth.” Her words came out as a snarl, only to be interrupted by the last of the pack. Vatusia scoffed and turned away from the group, a snort escaping her nostrils. This was exhausting. For once she had been doing most of the talking, which was rare for Vatusia. This needed to be over with. ”None of you seem to be able to show anything truly significant about yourselves. You all just agree with whoever is speaking…and we don’t need sheep in the Following.” She paused, nodding to her companion and sharing a knowing look. She always enjoyed cruel irony. Looking over her shoulder, she nodded towards Bandit, the smallest of these whelps. ”You. Come with us. The rest of you…” her expression hardened. ”Fuck off.”

Nyx

Nyx listened to the repetitive words being spoken by the siblings, one ear cocking toward Vatusia as her red counterpart spoke. This had become very tedious, and she was just as ready as her co-worker to have it done. It seemed none of the siblings could think for themselves, nor offer any individual skills as asked outside of 'working as a team'. What a vague explanation, regardless. Maybe they could work as a team, as they were family, but to work as a team with total strangers could be entirely different. They were unimpressive..save for the little timid male that suddenly seemed to become very brave.

Ambitious.

It was clear that deep within he had a drive to excel, but his meeker temperment hinted strongly that he would not cause problems in The Following. Yes he would be a good, hardworking Follower that would be eager to please. He belonged.

The others..Nyx could not fathom how they thought the Seekers would be impressed by a challenge. A smart dog would not challenge someone they sought refuge from. A shame.

Nyx allowed a slight smirk to crawl across her muzzle as she exchanged a glance with Vatusia. She could see it in the other females' eyes; they were thinking the same thing. Nyx would allow Vati to continue speaking, it was nice to simply be there as back up as she had had plenty of her own, single, initiations somewhat recently.

The darker furred bitch couldn't help the scoff as Vatusia spat her last words to the siblings, her honey brown eyes then turning to the meek male.

"Keep up, we won't wait."