Post by Rallan on Jun 21, 2010 0:35:52 GMT -6
Summers had never been the best time for the Forest of Lust. The heat, the dryness, it was no surprise that many wolves sought the refuge of water, shade, and caves during this season. Droughts weren't uncommon during these three months, but neither were they a common occurrence. However, this summer was beginning especially brutal. The heat had onset itself very early in the year, mid-May soon feeling like July. The rivers and lakes had begun to dry up more and more every day, and it hadn't rained since the last waning days of April. The heat and merciless sun quickly began drying everything up in a matter of days, and once June rolled around, the spark was inevitable...
The Prairie was the first place to go up in smoke...
Luna was the first wolf to respond to the situation. Having made her residence in the Prairie for a year since her mate had left her, the fire consumed her home first.
Luna leapt from her crouched position in the golden grasses in a graceful arch, efficiently landing on a small rabbit a few feet away from her. "Dinnertime!" she said with a smile, about to begin eating when the scent of smoke reached her nose. Lifting her head slightly, her ice-blue eyes caught sight of a large patch of grass smoking nearby, the pale gray smoke slowly dancing and rising through the air.
"What on Earth?" she asked herself, taking a few cautious steps closer to the suspicious smoke. No sooner had she taken those couple steps than the grass sparked, flames bursting out of the golden fields and lapping at the surrounding areas. Luna yelped and leaped backwards, watching the flames quickly spread through the dry brush and grass, quickly engulfing yards of field at a time, getting bigger and bigger - and closer and closer. Eyes filled with fear, Luna spun around and darted off as fast as her legs could carry her back toward the Forest of Lust, glancing back at the rapidly approaching fires.
"FIRE!! FIRE!!" Luna cried as she ran deeper and deeper into the emerald foliage of the Forest.
Rallan sighed with relief as he lifted his muzzle form the cool, clear waters of one of the several rivers that flowed through the Forest - or now, the only river that still flowed through the Forest. A frown crossed Rallan's face as he thought about the state the lands were in right now. It was the worst heatwave in years, and this drought was only getting worse and worse. If they didn't have any rain soon, the Forest of Lust would have a major disaster on its hands. The very thought of any tragedy befalling the lands made his brow furrow in disdain. No, the Forest would be alright. It had survived many summers before now, it would do just fine this time.
With a look of unease in his eyes, Rallan turned back around and began to make his way back to the sheltering coolness of a den he'd hidden in for the past few days - or he had been, until a white fae came barreling right into him, panting like crazy as she scrambled to her paws.
"Whoa, slow down, miss," Rallan said, getting back up and shaking his pelt off, "Where's the fire?"
"Behind us!" Luna said quickly before rushing off again, yelling at the top of her lungs, "FIRE!! FIRE!!"
"Fire...?" Rallan asked questioningly, turning around - only to see billows of smoke coming at him from where the wolfess had just came from, and behind it, the bright orange and red glow of large, vicious flames tearing through the trees. Eyes widening in horror, Rallan darted off in the direction Luna had gone.
"FIRE!!! FOREST FIRE!!" Rallan yelled in warning, his voice louder and going further, attracting more attention from nearby wolves, "RUN FOR THE BORDERS!! FOREST FIRE!!!"
Rallan ran across as much of the Forest of Lust as he could safely get to, warning as many wolves, solo, couples, and packs, of the impeding danger. He helped many of the larger packs get their members moving, grabbing pups in his jaws and helping the elder members up and going. Once they were safely away, he would run back into the smoke to give his aid to others left behind.
Running through the heavy smoke, Rallan quickly ran through his head of everyone that was important to him, making a checklist to know who had gotten out. All the packs had been warned and were either out or getting out, and many of the other occupants had been warned.
And then Rallan skidded to a halt, a thought suddenly hitting him.
"Symph!" Rallan cried out, dashing back toward the glowing inferno, closer to the fire, where the Abandoned City was. Although the smoke choked and blinded him, he ran as fast as his paws would carry him. He could hear his heartbeat in his head and feel each pulse send a fresh rush of adrenaline through his body, driving him on and on. The closer he got to the city, the more fire and ember was around him.
And then he arrived at the border to the Abandoned City, flames already surrounding the area, making a fiery wall he couldn't run through. Maybe I can leap through it, he thought to himself, determined to get in there to get his love out, taking a few steps back... And then a sudden crack overhead made him hesitate and look up. Dozens of flaming branches were falling right down at him. Yelping loudly, he dove backwards, narrowly avoiding the flaming debris by inches, the fires licking at his body and searing his fur - and cutting him completely off from the city.
"SYMPHONY!!!" Rallan screamed, knowing in his mind she couldn't hear him from where he was, but his heart refusing to give up, "SYMPHONY!!! SYMPH-"
A burst of flames in front of him cut off his screaming with a yelp, making him fall backwards. Scrambling to his paws, he stopped and cast one last look at the Abandoned City, praying with all his heart and soul that she had gotten out earlier before he forced himself to run back toward the Borders, the forest fire quickly swallowing up all of the forest right at his heels. His eyes were tearing up from the smoke and ash, and the soot was getting caught in his throat, making him gasp and cough for air which no longer seemed to exist. The heat seemed to eat at his body, burning him from all sides, making his escape more and more difficult.
As was his nature, he searched for more wolves as he ran back to safety, not coming across any, and hoping everyone had made it out. Not wasting any more time, Rallan made for the Borders, and arrived there soon after, hundreds of wolves standing a safe distance away, watching the magical forest quickly go up in flames, then slowly burn to the ground. Rallan stood closest of anyone, watching with tears as every last bit of green was taken up by oranges and red, smoke as black as death surging up to the sky, very nearly blotting out the sun that had started everything. His life had been there, as had the lives of every wolf behind him, and of those who had gone their own ways.
With a heavy heart, Rallan watched the trees on the very far edge of the Borders collapse under the fire, nothing but a giant fire now burning where the Forest of Lust had once stood so proudly. Rallan closed his eyes, unable to watch helplessly as his home burned. Throwing his muzzle back toward the sky, he let loose the saddest, most mournful howl he'd ever cried in his life.
Behind him, that howl was echoed by hundreds of heartbroken wolves as they watched the Forest of Lust die.
The Prairie was the first place to go up in smoke...
Luna was the first wolf to respond to the situation. Having made her residence in the Prairie for a year since her mate had left her, the fire consumed her home first.
Luna leapt from her crouched position in the golden grasses in a graceful arch, efficiently landing on a small rabbit a few feet away from her. "Dinnertime!" she said with a smile, about to begin eating when the scent of smoke reached her nose. Lifting her head slightly, her ice-blue eyes caught sight of a large patch of grass smoking nearby, the pale gray smoke slowly dancing and rising through the air.
"What on Earth?" she asked herself, taking a few cautious steps closer to the suspicious smoke. No sooner had she taken those couple steps than the grass sparked, flames bursting out of the golden fields and lapping at the surrounding areas. Luna yelped and leaped backwards, watching the flames quickly spread through the dry brush and grass, quickly engulfing yards of field at a time, getting bigger and bigger - and closer and closer. Eyes filled with fear, Luna spun around and darted off as fast as her legs could carry her back toward the Forest of Lust, glancing back at the rapidly approaching fires.
"FIRE!! FIRE!!" Luna cried as she ran deeper and deeper into the emerald foliage of the Forest.
Rallan sighed with relief as he lifted his muzzle form the cool, clear waters of one of the several rivers that flowed through the Forest - or now, the only river that still flowed through the Forest. A frown crossed Rallan's face as he thought about the state the lands were in right now. It was the worst heatwave in years, and this drought was only getting worse and worse. If they didn't have any rain soon, the Forest of Lust would have a major disaster on its hands. The very thought of any tragedy befalling the lands made his brow furrow in disdain. No, the Forest would be alright. It had survived many summers before now, it would do just fine this time.
With a look of unease in his eyes, Rallan turned back around and began to make his way back to the sheltering coolness of a den he'd hidden in for the past few days - or he had been, until a white fae came barreling right into him, panting like crazy as she scrambled to her paws.
"Whoa, slow down, miss," Rallan said, getting back up and shaking his pelt off, "Where's the fire?"
"Behind us!" Luna said quickly before rushing off again, yelling at the top of her lungs, "FIRE!! FIRE!!"
"Fire...?" Rallan asked questioningly, turning around - only to see billows of smoke coming at him from where the wolfess had just came from, and behind it, the bright orange and red glow of large, vicious flames tearing through the trees. Eyes widening in horror, Rallan darted off in the direction Luna had gone.
"FIRE!!! FOREST FIRE!!" Rallan yelled in warning, his voice louder and going further, attracting more attention from nearby wolves, "RUN FOR THE BORDERS!! FOREST FIRE!!!"
Rallan ran across as much of the Forest of Lust as he could safely get to, warning as many wolves, solo, couples, and packs, of the impeding danger. He helped many of the larger packs get their members moving, grabbing pups in his jaws and helping the elder members up and going. Once they were safely away, he would run back into the smoke to give his aid to others left behind.
Running through the heavy smoke, Rallan quickly ran through his head of everyone that was important to him, making a checklist to know who had gotten out. All the packs had been warned and were either out or getting out, and many of the other occupants had been warned.
And then Rallan skidded to a halt, a thought suddenly hitting him.
"Symph!" Rallan cried out, dashing back toward the glowing inferno, closer to the fire, where the Abandoned City was. Although the smoke choked and blinded him, he ran as fast as his paws would carry him. He could hear his heartbeat in his head and feel each pulse send a fresh rush of adrenaline through his body, driving him on and on. The closer he got to the city, the more fire and ember was around him.
And then he arrived at the border to the Abandoned City, flames already surrounding the area, making a fiery wall he couldn't run through. Maybe I can leap through it, he thought to himself, determined to get in there to get his love out, taking a few steps back... And then a sudden crack overhead made him hesitate and look up. Dozens of flaming branches were falling right down at him. Yelping loudly, he dove backwards, narrowly avoiding the flaming debris by inches, the fires licking at his body and searing his fur - and cutting him completely off from the city.
"SYMPHONY!!!" Rallan screamed, knowing in his mind she couldn't hear him from where he was, but his heart refusing to give up, "SYMPHONY!!! SYMPH-"
A burst of flames in front of him cut off his screaming with a yelp, making him fall backwards. Scrambling to his paws, he stopped and cast one last look at the Abandoned City, praying with all his heart and soul that she had gotten out earlier before he forced himself to run back toward the Borders, the forest fire quickly swallowing up all of the forest right at his heels. His eyes were tearing up from the smoke and ash, and the soot was getting caught in his throat, making him gasp and cough for air which no longer seemed to exist. The heat seemed to eat at his body, burning him from all sides, making his escape more and more difficult.
As was his nature, he searched for more wolves as he ran back to safety, not coming across any, and hoping everyone had made it out. Not wasting any more time, Rallan made for the Borders, and arrived there soon after, hundreds of wolves standing a safe distance away, watching the magical forest quickly go up in flames, then slowly burn to the ground. Rallan stood closest of anyone, watching with tears as every last bit of green was taken up by oranges and red, smoke as black as death surging up to the sky, very nearly blotting out the sun that had started everything. His life had been there, as had the lives of every wolf behind him, and of those who had gone their own ways.
With a heavy heart, Rallan watched the trees on the very far edge of the Borders collapse under the fire, nothing but a giant fire now burning where the Forest of Lust had once stood so proudly. Rallan closed his eyes, unable to watch helplessly as his home burned. Throwing his muzzle back toward the sky, he let loose the saddest, most mournful howl he'd ever cried in his life.
Behind him, that howl was echoed by hundreds of heartbroken wolves as they watched the Forest of Lust die.