R E S U R G E N C E

Ⓥesta shook her head somberly, and retreated into the hollow, nebulous shadows of the tunnel, "Humans happened...I don't know why, but something must have stolen one of their rabbits, and brought it here...they think we killed it...and now, they certainly see us as the culprits. They know we're here...this changes everything..." The Malinois lamented quietly, her Belgian lilt deprived of it's usual jaunty astuteness, her depleted tone echoing mutely in the enclosed chasm. 

"Everyone, stay close...it's not far to the rail car, but the passage extends for a while. We can only hope that the Ancients may guide the others." She murmured mournfully, bloodied, punctured right ear limp against her head. shuffling feebly in the obscure darkness of the Underpass, her gait without its usual energized jaunt, the smell of blood conglomerating with that of damp earth. 

Skell waited for everyone to pass her, she herself would bring up the rear. She turned to Ravika, and flicked an ear. ''Calm yourself my friend. There is too much chaos to become weak at this point and time.'' Skell spoke calmly, trying to comfort the frightened female. She allowed the others to pass her, and so, with a hesitant step and glance back over her shoulder, she followed. She kept herself a few tail lengths behind the pack, her ebony fur making her invisible in the dark shadows of the tunnel. Only her lime green optics were visible, allowing the group to know that she was indeed there. Skell turned every now and then to look over her shoulder. Decideing it would be best to leave a scent mark in case others followed, she ran her back along the wet sides of the tunnel, leaving her pine sap scent to mingle with that of the distilled water running down the side of the walls. 

Ravika nodded, feeling slightly ashamed of exposing her weakness. Exhaling another sigh, the femmora trudged with the rest of the group, her plush onyx banner flickering softly. Her pupils dilated, absorbing the little light that was left in the dark shady tunnels. It was, indeed, eerie here. The faint trickling of water echoed daintily in the distance, as they proceeded to descend deeper into the darkness. Ravika blinked, feeling a shudder rumble throughout her.

Silence cloyed the air like a impenetrable blanket, making still the movements of the clouds and dulling the radiance of the sun. Athena, finding shelter towards the boundary of the deciduous confines, waited absently for the signal— the sign that all was well. The birds kept their silence despite her impatience, however, and she nestled deeper within the verdure, begging the Gods whom she doted to conceal her presence from the scrutinizing eyes of man.

Jacob looked away, a wave of anger rippling through the large canid. So much for a rabbit. He blinked thoughtfully, hackles unconciously rising along his hefty torso. A deep growl escaped his maw, almost inaudible to himself. The canine fixed his glae on the entrance of the Underpass for a few moments before whipping around, following Vesta half a meter from behind.

(Eww short. Sowwy.)

The Hovawart grunted upon hearing the origin of the chaos, humans were truly idiotic beings in his belief. He paced after his fellow Echelons, the smell of the crimson fluid imminent from Vesta clouding his senses. They were fortunate that no one had gotten fatally impaired yet the humans still lurked above and there was no telling what would happen in the near future. It seemed that fact hanging in the back of his mind bothered him more than walking blind in the darkness.

Squawk's head jerks towards the sound of a gunshot. "Curses..." he growls to himself. He already heard the distant howl of Vesta calling the pack to the back up hideout., the only problem is. So would have the humans. Dropping the herbs in his jaws and abandining the scent trail he was tracking, the mutt streaks through the territory. Pushing past any undergrowth and dodging what he could. Having to slow down at times so as not to trip or hit something. His paw steps thunder against the earth as he directs his attention towards the rail car. He was closer towards the old man-made creation then to the underpass, where the others are surely to be. He will just have to wait there. Good thing he put some back-up herbs in there this morning, most likely someone has been hurt.

Spotting the rail car through the thicket, Squawk speeds up. His icy-gray eyes examing what he could as he passed by. Surprisingly, he did spot what he wish he didn't. Not far, making their way through the woods, are a pair of two-legs. Crouched by something and muttering lowly. The male gripping his gun tightly. If the others get here, they will see them... he utters mentlly then, slamming his paws down to come to sudden halt few yards from the rail car. His head throws back and he lets out a raspy and broken howl, the howl sending a warning to the others. Hopefully, they will be able to hear it. Once letting the howl go, not a few heartbeats after, does the tri-colored mutt's ears start to ring and the ground a few paw lengths away from him form a small crater with a gray bullet resting inside. He lets out a yelp of surprise and skirts away quickly. This time, running away from the rail car, his ears twitching at the faint sound of the male two-leg shouting then charging through the undergrowth after him. The female in tow by the sound of another, more femine, yell. "You better get the others to saftey, Vesta." Squawk pants, leaping over a large bush.

Ⓦith bitter resolve, Vesta headed the capitulated procession onward into the damp, enveloping obscurity, and into the blinding bath of sunlight on the opposite aperture of the noxious channel, safely distanced from the vindicative seige on the Rendezvous. 

The rail car was dilapidated and consumed with tendrils of eclipsing verdure, ensconced in a moss-carpeted, and enclosed by venerable, blossoming magnolias, their glossy, shield shaped jade leaves complimented by soft, silken ivory flowers. The fogged, disheveled windows hung miserably in their frames, the once florid, vibrant crimson lacquer peeling and disintegrating against the wooden siding. 

The Malinois turned to face her comrades, right partition of her countenance obscured by blood, the porous entry wound showing feeble signs of coagulation, "We're safe for now..." She breathed, enervated. 

Skell stared at Squawk, and finally said, ''You say... the people are here?!'' Skell snapped her attention to Vesta, her gaze clouded with worry. She stared at all of the members She shook her muzzle, and remained composed. She did not see the people, so she would not allow herself to lose it in panic. She padded a little forward, ''Want me to take a look Vesta?'' She spoke smoothly, lowering her tail and staring directly at the Delegate. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and remained where she was.

Ⓦith solidified, unhesitant disapproval, the Delegate shook her crimson smeared head immediately, "No, though it is valiant of you to offer, our forces are scattered as it is. I cannot afford any more disarray. It is to our benefit that we stay together, so that the others might locate us." Vesta insisted automatically.

"We should shelter in the rail car for an hour or two, until we are certain the humans have vacated the territory. Were there any casualties?" She assesed, with solemn inquisitiion, regarding her comrades with meticulous chestnut eyes, her authoritative, militant demeanor gradually reviving, though the Malinois was oblivious to the irony of the question, half blinded by the onslaught of blood on her visage. 

Jacob shook his cranium, dark hazel visionaries fixed on the obscure tunnel, gazing at the path they had followed. If they humans knew they were here, it was possible that they came back. And if they did, would they bring along more guns? Would the Liberated be able to flee this time? A feeble shudder ran down the Retinue's spine, his zeniths flattening faintly above his cranium. The German Shepherd turned to face Vesta and clenched his jaws, his hindquarters lowering into a sitting position. ''Only your ear, as far as I know,'' he reponded, his voice slightly muffled by gritted ivories. ''Do you think they'll come back?'' He purposely spoke in a low tone, as if tryng to test if the Delegate could preoperly hear and understand his words.

Satomi basked in the warmth, the pungent fragrance of fresh vanilla and honey intertwining with the chirpy birdsong and musky adumbration of damp moss. Clambering from her sleeping position, the fae began to trot out into the open, stretching her elongated muscles in an attempt to wake up further. 

The onyx femmora simply stood aside from the group, her hide dleicately blemishing with the darkness of the tunnel. She was froxen stiff, pondering deeply. Her striking amber luminaries were fixed directly into the deepth of the dark tunnel. Her banner released a soft flicker, causing her aud to perplex forward. The faint drips of droplets echoed from within the darkness, causing a shuver to run down Ravika's spinal cord. Slowly, and without hesitation, the hellion began to tred deeper into the shadows, her gaze mesmerized by the diminutive misty sounds coming from within the tunnel.

Ⓥesta bowed her head wearily, for once, looking a fraction of a bit defeated, her sinewy shoulders minimally slumped, flanks still heaving with electrified, adrenaline infused respiration, her salmon hued tongue lolling in exhaustion, maw agape, revealing a sinister set of pearlescent fangs, her incisors exhibiting the classical elongation expected of a protection dog, her mottled sable pelt still attentively bristled.

"I know they will. They are bound by the Axiom to be faithful to the Liberated--by nightfall, I guarantee, our comrades will be in our midst. Now, everyone inside. Humans are powerful, but dually foolish. To them, this place is just remains and rubbish, with no semblance of sanctuary." The Delegate responded brazenly, her crisp, militaristic bark reverberating softly in her dehydrated throat, as she stepped gradually up the decrepit wooden pedestal into the solacing enclosure of the neglected rail car, turning in wait for the remnants of the pack to follow. 

Jacob blinked, left audit twitching. Now he was certain Vesta could hear properly. A brisk hint of relief sparked in his chest, yet he was slightly confused by Vesta's response.

''I have no doubt that they'll be back. They're all loyal, very loyal.'' The canine paused for a moment, a flash of anger crossing his amber optics. ''I meant humans. They know we're here. They could blame us for every dead rabbit they find. We're all vurnerable now,'' he stated, hackles unconciously rising. Next time could be more than an ear.

Fragmented pleas resonated through the cool, empty air. Ma'at had been watching, observing the human invaders with an unobtrusive diligence. But the eruption of steel weaponry prevailed, sending her into a frenzy of panicked, soprano shrieks. The female seemed to be frozen in this delirious state - she'd never experienced such turmoil; the continual ringing in her ears ripped through what sense remained. But, the conversant vociferations consisting of equally frightened tones snapped her into reality. Her limbs had minds of their own as she fled in the opposite direction, not knowing whether the humans had taken chase or not. Moving in quick, mechanical sprints, Ma'at headed for the Rendezvous to gather the Liberated. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes turned into hours, all of which amounted to nothing as she arrived to find no one. Letting out a frustrated caterwaul, she circled the area once, twice, and a third time. -Of course!- The female launched forth, her eyes locked on the ground, which blurred with the speed of her movements. 

Ⓐs Vesta paced wearily into the warm, wooded enclosure of the decrepit rail car, she hesitated, turning her regal head to regard the East Asian spitz with preternatural aura of concern, entirely uncharacteristic, her smoldering brassy eyes for once vaguely softened.

"Hyun-Ok, you were shot, were you not? We need Squawk...perhaps it is not entirely foolish to send Skell after him...I am simply hesitant to elicit anymore disointedness than we are already experiencing..." The Malinois mused somberly, regarding Hyun-Ok with a semblance of a subtle inquiry for counsel. 

  Squawk makes his way, slowly, down the tunnel. In his current state it feels more like hours then a few mintues padding through the swallowing shadows. The air being thick with humidity, while the smell of mold stretches along with it. Most likely thriving in this damp darkness. His icy-gray eyes focusing on the pale light stretching through the mouth of the entrance, pushing some of the shadows back from the surface. Squawk, letting his breathing come to a relaxed pace, limps on. Triangular ers perked for any presences of those two-legs that might have come back. Nothing, that is what he hears. As a cautious measure, Squawk takes a glance over his shoulder. Pausing in his steps, and leaning more on his right paw, it takes the tri-colored mutt's eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden change in light, his vision going completely black but now fading back. He spots nothing either, or no scent besides his own blood. Now noticing the trail that the droplets left upon the floor. He ignores them, those humans won't follow him through here no doubt. He will be fine, after he is almost to the Rendezous. He turns his head back to the pale light, not waiting for them to adjust, instead limping on. Making his way out of the damp underpass and towards the rail car. His dark tail waves low to the ground and his ears perk up, listening to his packmates bark in worry. The scent of blood, not his own, rises to his senses. He picks up speed, struggling to make it into the train car and yet succeeds. Having to lean against the wall for a moment. His eyes examine the other canines that currently rest in the train car, once spotting Vesta and her wounded ear, shot by the looks of it, he hobbles over towards his stash of herbs, pulling out a few bundles, then heading back over to the she-dog. "Stay still and let me fix that ear," he commands. Dropping the bundles then digging through them for specific things.

    Pushing the unnessicary plants away, Squawk starts to chew a mix of horsetail and burnet. Spitting out the polituce on a dried oak leaf. Moving on, he grabs a thing of damp moss, having filled it with fresh water the other day, and wipes down Vesta's ear. He doesn't tell her it will sting, she should lready expect it. Making sure that the blood is cleared off, both dry and fresh, he drops the moss and picks the dried leaf up. Then, places it on the she-dog's ear. This time, it was going to sting even more, but just for a moment as the mixture of the herbs go into the wound. "Is everyone else ok? If you need something to calm you down come to me now." He pushes the herbs away from the others a little, so anybody that needed him could easily walk up.

Skell turned her head to stare at Squawks leaking side. ''By the ancients...'' She spoke lowly. Dipping her head at Ravika's command to not leave in search of others or fend off the people. She lashed her tail from side to side. '' This is disatrous... Where is Ma'at? As well as the others?'' She spoke lowly to herself. There is no way that they could have abandoned us... They're too loyal. The Liberated is they're home... She thought to herself. Watchiing Squawk fix Vesta's ear, she could not stop staring at the bullet hole in his side. She watched the blood drain from the wound, having stayed open for nearly an hour.