Fable Contest

[Waltz]

It's time for the July OoC contest! This month, the contest is about fables or short stories.

So, these stories will be in the sort of story telling idea. For example, there could be a story of a dog from the Pure Bloods who was constantly picked on but became the strongest in the end. See what I mean?

Now, there are two different categories; the pack origin category, the loner stories category, and the the pack stories category.

The pack origins category can have any number of entries, but only a few will be chosen for each pack. It is about how a pack came to be, almost like the history of it.

The pack stories will be much more open, with around 5 or so being chosen for each pack. It is about regular moral stories, ghost stories, etc. of a pack. The loner stories are similar to the pack stories, except they are about loners, not a pack.

Winners will be chosen and announced a few days after the deadline. The pack origins category will have 1-2 winners for each pack. The pack stories category will have around 5 winners, and the loner stories will have around 5 winners.

Deadline is July 30th!

The entries will be judged by Tessa and myself.

Fill out the form below and post it in this thread. If you have more than one entry, or a new one, keep it in your post. The stories themselves have no word minimum or limit, but must be at least a few paragraphs long. And remember, one form per entry.


[b]Category:[/b] (Pack origins, pack stories, loner stories)
[b]Which Pack?:[/b] (Hu'li, United, Pure Bloods, or just loner)
[b]Entry:[/b]


[katieo]

Category: Pack Origin
Which Pack?: Pure Blood
Entry: Now I know it is hard to believe now, but a long time ago there was only one pack. Yes, a pack where wolves and dogs lived together, ignorant of their differences in blood. They lived together happily, working smoothly like a pack should. They had a strong, wise alpha, a she-wolf named Hu'li (If my Hu'li pack story isn't used, yet this one is, then change her name to Aurora). She was very spiritual and referred to the alignment of the stars to make certain decisions. Her proud beta was a strong male, Ciris, who many thought was a husky.

But Ciris was in fact NOT a husky, he was a wolf and husky hybrid. This wouldn't have been a problem back then, oh no, they were very tolerant of mixes, but at that time a certain dog did not approve of mixes. His name was King, a huge saint bernard that believed he was better then all wolves and hybrids because of his "pure" blood. King was also power hungry and very envious of Ciris, he searched for ways to become the next beta and replace Ciris, who was a filthy mutt who wasn't worthy of power in King's eyes.

So one day King was hunting on his own when he heard a pack mate hunting near the river. Being good at stalking and surprisingly sneaky for his size, King managed to sneak up on the canine, who turned out to be Ciris. Seizing his chance, the saint bernard emerged from the shadows and said in deceivingly kind voice, "Why hello, old friend, would you mind me walking with you a bit by the river's side?"

Ciris, who saw the good in everyone and didn't see a reason not to take a walk with his pack mate, smiled and agreed. The two began to chat idly as they trotted beside the raging river, Ciris on the side closer to the river. King slowly directed his pack closer and closer to the river's side, nearing the small cliff's edge. As Ciris began to stumble at the very edge, he snorted, "Watch out King, you are going to knock me into the river!"

King grinned and replied, still in a sweet tone, "That's the idea, buddy."

And then the huge canine shoved Ciris right into the water and watched in triumph as the hybrid's body slammed against the sharp rocks and boulders. He then raced towards camp, where he paused in the middle and exclaimed, "Ciris is dead!"

It didn't take long for the pack to begin to panic and in the confusion, clever King noticed that Hu'li had abandoned her meal in order to help calm her pack. Inconspicuously, King pulled the largest rib bone up so that it rose above the rest. He knew that his alpha was very spiritual and always took bones as a sign. After the pack had calmed down, Hu'li returned to her meal in order to share it with the pack and thus calm them more when she noticed the bone. She did take it as a sign, believing that the higher powers had chosen King, the largest in the pack, as the next beta. King's plan worked and he was made beta.

He immediately started his next phase, starting rumors in the pack until the dogs had begun to divide from the wolves. Then a couple moon phases later, Hu'li became ill. Not tremendously sick as to which she would die, but she was left unable to help her pack for several days, and she put King in charge. Al hell broke lose, for King had been waiting for his opportunity. He started to shape the pack into his vision, down grading all mix bloods and convincing the pure dogs that they were superior. Things were looking down for the pack, and they had no true leader, their first one being dead.

But Ciris was not dead, oh no, just battered. So when he came to on the shores of the river, he remembered exactly what had happened and knew that King was a traitor. It took many, many days for him to regain his old strength, but he was determined to save his pack. At last Ciris made his way towards his pack. He ran for many straight days, only stopping to eat, drink, and sleep. When he reached his home, he was exhausted, but ready to challenge the fake. At first, the wolves and hybrids, who had been forced to sleep in a crammed den together, believed he was a ghost. But when Ciris explained what had happened, they became enraged. They showed him what had become of their pack. He was disgusted, seeing that the wolves and hybrids were forced to hunt and do dirty work while the pure blooded dogs languished in their spacious dens being fed all they wanted.

Th enraged Ciris approached King and demanded he change things back to the ways they were. Of course, King was not so easily convinced that he was wrong and claimed that Ciris was lying and just wanted his own power back. King's plan worked, he had angered Ciris enough for the smaller canine to attack. They fought an epic battle, both attacking with great ferocity. But King underestimated Ciris. The hybrid had grown more clever and faked an injury in his paw. As King lunged towards that side, believing Ciris was defeated, the hybrid smacked a deafening blow across King's jaw. The dog's jaw would always be twisted for the rest of his life, and King admitted defeat.

Hu'li was enraged and together with the wolves, hybrids, and few dogs that opposed King, she drove him out. She declared that if he or anyone aligned with him ever stepped foot off of the beach again, which is where she drove him, they would be killed. Ciris was seen as a hero and Hu'li stepped down so that Ciris could be alpha.

But King was not defeated so easily, not that dog, so he and his few followers took advantage of their new territory, creating the Pure Blood Pack. Although the dogs there may not know the true story behind their pack, the hatred for wolves and hybrids has always been engrained into their very beings.

And that, my friends, is how the Pure Blood pack came to be and why they live in such a home as the barren beach.

Category: Pack origin
Which Pack?: Hu'li
Entry: Now I know you have heard the story about the betrayal of King and the formation of Pure Blood pack. If you haven't, well, that stinks for you. Anyway, this takes place after King and his followers leave, when Hu'li had recovered from her illness. (If the first one, the Pure Bloods one, isn't used, then this part will be taken out.)

So Hu'li was lying in the clearing one day, thinking about her pack and their issues when suddenly her beta, Ciris, emerged from his den. It was a cloudy day and the sun was covered, but suddenly the clouds parted and a beam of light fell onto the beta's pelt. Hu'li immediately knew it was a sign that Ciris's time had arrived. That night, as the moon began to rise, she announced that she was stepping down and Ciris became the alpha.

He was a great alpha and Hu'li was relieved that she no longer had to worry about all the troubles of leading. But Hu'li was a born leader and soon she began to miss her role as alpha. She wanted a way to lead others spiritually, yet not as a pack. Hu'li couldn't figure this out, and spent many sleepless nights thinking about it. One of these nights she dozed off and had a strange dream.

The was in a beautiful meadow that appeared to have stars within it. They were beautiful balls of light that disappeared every time the she-wolf approached them and then appeared in a new place. Hu'li also found that her bones ached less and that she was full of energy, as if she were young again.

"What is this place?" Hu'li wondered aloud, then she heard a beautiful yet strong voice. It was Luna, the great goddess, in the form of a dazzling wolf. Her pelt was pure white, untouched by a single color. She had no shadows, yet she appeared to be reflecting light from some unknown source. Her silver eyes were full with wisdom and her voice was soft, yet strong like moonlight. The image of beauty stood a respectful distance away from Hu'li her mouth not moving as her voice boomed out, "Hu'li, you have always been loyal to me and my wishes. For that I am thankful, and you know when to accept that your time to lead your pack is over and when it is time to let others lead. Hu'li, I have deemed you fit to start a new group of wolves, one that is not a pack like your past family. Some of your wolves will join you, the ones that are faithful to me, and then you will journey to a lush glade. You will know that it is the place when you see it. Take your wolves and make this your new home and name yourselves after you, the most faithful of my wolves. You will create the Book of Celeste, declaring your faith to me and all the other entities. Do as I say and your prey will be bountiful and your paw steps blessed. Awaken now, and do as I bid."

Then the dazzling she-wolf disappeared and the beautiful meadow melted away. Hu'li opened her eyes, yet she still felt the same youth she had had in her dream. She immediately did what Luna had asked her to do, stepping out and announcing her departure in the dawn light. Several wolves agreed to join her, either loyal to Luna or opposed to Ciris's authority. They left, the others bedding them farewell, and traveled deep into the forest. It took them many days to find the glade, but when they did they knew exactly that it as the right place. They settled, finding that the prey was good and bountiful.

But then something unexpected happened, Hu'li who was rather old now fell ill,(add again if Pure Bloods is used) and couldn't complete the Book of Celeste before at last dying. The wolves panicked, their leader dead and no one selected as alpha, they began to argue as to who should be the alpha and take over now that Hu'li was dead. One night the arguing became violent and the wolves began to fight. Blood was shed and the pool in the glade ran red.

Luna was furious and suddenly a small storm cloud appeared in the sky overhead. A loud lightning crack ended the loud snarling and every wolf stood cowering in terror. Suddenly the thunder seemed to take on a voice, and the clouds parted, allowing the light of the moon to shine down on the blood soaked glade.

"None of you are fit to be alpha, for you all strike out against each other and disobey my commands to finish the Book of Celeste." The voice boomed. All the wolves were silent, their ears lowered in shame. Only one wolf looked up at the moon and cried respectfully, "You are right Luna, for we are only wolves, not gods. We are flawed, so we must try harder to do your bidding."

The clouds appeared to clear away as Luna became pleased. She knew that her creations were not perfect, but all she had wanted them to do was take responsibility for their actions. At last Luna said to the wolf, who was a male name Florick, "Florick, you have shown me a great quality, taking responsibilities for your wrongs. If you are brave enough to do that, you must be brave enough to follow my orders and be alpha. But that does not undo what you all have done, so you will never be a group purely devoted to me. I know now that that isn't possible, that you must have rivalries against other packs and other mortal problems. So you will forever be the Hu'li pack, though you will still be loyal to me."

Then Luna's presence was gone and the other wolves bowed to their new alpha, awed by the fact that he had been praised by Luna herself. Unfortunately, Luna has never allowed them to return to being a faith group, they will forever be plagued by the problems of other packs, food lack and rivalries.

[Spectre]

Category: Pack Stories
Which Pack?: Pure Bloods
Comments/Other: Converted from an equine character’s history! Warning: May be animal confusion throughout entry. Update: But probably not thanks to Katie! And it turns out to be an Australian Kelpie in honor of Kelpie, someone I’d rather not mention but did so anyway.
Entry:
In the present times, the Pure Bloods in no way want to associate with the spiritual Hu’li. They are, however, sacred in their own way. Their stories touch the hearts of all. One of the more particularly affectionately spun tales? Perhaps that would be the tale of an Australian Kelpie dubbed Wolfsbane. Now Wolfsbane has a murky and uncertain past. Renowned for lying, no one is exactly sure what has happened to her in the past. By piecing together the scraps of evidence and truth still floating along the dusty trail can one finally comprehend her history. For she is a legend of her own. Her story is whispered across the sacred lands, exchanged in a monotone voice, feared by all to strike a tremor in their hearts. And this is how her tale goes…

As all legends begin, it happened on a chilly, stormy night (typical, huh?). But this was no typical night. For oftentimes, as the cliché goes, birth is associated with dawn as is death with nightfall. Yet on this drafty night, a pure black canine stumbled over the cobblestoned city floor, her belly bulging. Buildings, towering skyscrapers, loomed above, unsympathetic with the little shelter they provided from the rain. Oh, the rain. It pummeled her back with its aggressive drumming, saturating her drenched coat of onyx. Who could imagine such miniature droplets could aggravate one in such a fashion?

The pitiful, soaked dog, her almonds of eyes darting every which way, slunk anxiously along the deserted street. Her gait matched that of an elderly dog, slow and careful. It was a precaution of slipping over the wet stones and… something else. For she was heavy with child. Below her sleek midnight coat, a rotund belly swelled with rainwater and… pup. Two in fact. She was about to give birth for the first time. Eyeing the desolate, shelter-less landscape, her searching eyes caught a glimpse of a magnificent oak. Shelter at last.

Her slender legs buckling under the weight she hauled, she managed to sprint over to the tree before collapsing beneath its outstretched branches. A shower of musty leaves swirled beneath her as she settled down. Gnarled twigs ensnared the fur on her back. But she could care less. Exhausted from the effort of searching for this shelter, she fainted. The next few hours were consumed by her alternatively drifting in and out of consciousness.

Her prognosis was grim. Her puppies were expected by early February. And now it was merely mid-December. She or her puppies were barely expected to survive such an early birth. And somehow, she appeared to sense this. Being young as she was, she had already given up hope for survival. Now if she could only hang onto that last thread of her puppies’ survival…

But nature, it seemed, had destined for her to perish this fateful night. The storm had now approached. Drums of thunder roared their vibrations across the gloomy backdrop. Thin rays of lightning snaked across the sky with their blinding beams. And the percussion had only risen in volume, the light only magnified in its luminosity. Then, one particularly feisty streak of lightning, dissatisfied with the poor quality of striking city buildings, struck the tree the dog had sheltered under. Immediately it burst with the engulfing flames. As enormous tongues of fire reached to snag at her, the dog’s haunting eyes snapped open, a wail like none other emitting from her throat. Her heels kicking up dust and fire, she leaped off wildly, her eyes darting this way and that. Not concentrating on her footing, she again stumbled. This time, her fall would eventually be fatal. And as she struck to cold, hard earth, her world vanished in a cloud of smoke – fire smoke.

At this climax point in the story, the story-teller would pause solemnly, acknowledging this tragedy marring Wolfsbane’s life. For she did live a harsh life, brutality as such was her daily medicine. It did not soothe her. Nor did it hurt her any longer. She simply had to accept the way things turned out. Which, I’m sure, at this point the listener would be curious to discover…

Wolfsbane awoke, groggy and pale. The sky was a blanched, washed out white. Tufts of clouds meandered across this dull background. No sunny beams embraced the barren earth. And such a cold, merciless earth it was indeed. No love, no joy, no anything. And if there existed such, it was not a privilege extended to her. Her thin, ragged heart whacking her heaving chest, she rose and peered unsteadily around. Where was the tree? The rain? The storm? The fire? And where was her mother? A jumble of questions tarnished her concentration. She slipped her eyes shut and tried to focus.

It was approximately one year after her mother’s death. Sapphire’s death. The aristocratic canine with the beautiful, lustrous coat had perished – for several reasons she did not want to imagine. And her younger sister, she had died as well. A pure black coat to match her mother’s, she was to be christened Salyna. But that was a distant memory.

Wolfsbane gave a snort; there was no emotion attached to this particular one, however. Stretching her slender legs luxuriously, she shook out a coat of matted black tendrils. She was at the peak of a hill overgrown with weeds and a handful of stubborn grass. Dust flanked its surface, undisturbed save for the flattened down portion she had stood on. Sharp, angular paws etching prints into the thick dust, she loped down the hill, her roving eyes piercing the sight of a wooden stump. Her slits of eyes took in the distant silhouettes of city structures. A few yards away, a depression was set into the earth. Edging closer, she nudged at the overlaying dirt to reveal a spot of white. With a chill seeping down her spine, she realized she had just stumbled upon her mother’s gravesite.

At last, one of her quests for knowledge had been fulfilled. For nearly a year ago, she had resolved to find her father and mother, uncover her family’s whereabouts, and discover… who she was. Her quests had lead her to all sorts of distant areas – from lofty cliffs to treacherous rivers to sizzling deserts to tranquil streams. And all she had accomplished was discovering her mother’s burial place. But she had years to go. Marking the spot in her memory, she gave one wistful glance back at the exposed bone before turning to depart. Another journey she was bound for. Another adventure – who know where that could take her? Who knew…

And so the story-teller would end. Wolfsbane carried with her a legacy unrivaled, a heart rendering, tender story of passion. Of self discovery. It left hope and despair in hearts everywhere. Ecstasy and depression. Insanity and control. It ended with a question that probed the wisdom of those who believed they were all-knowing. Those who thought they had achieved the enlightenment of the gods. Wolfsbane left a powerful message onto the needful earth, one that shall never be forgotten.

[Avahlona]

Category: Pack Stories
Which Pack?: Hu`li
Entry: Her Dear Children (See Below :3)


The moon was situated high in the sky, its full globe enough to light the clearing in which the canines sat. They were of no similar size, or color, though they seemed to all be acquainted. They had situated themselves in a circle of sorts, each situated in the position they deemed most comfortable. There was one, seemingly situated at the head, whose gaze floated around her assembly, landing on each and every subject present. The moon made her dark pelt barely definable, though her bright eyes were a dead giveaway of her presence. Though, it was clear she was an elder of the pack, what with silver twisting about her muzzle.

"Now," she almost growled, "that we all have gathered, I officially start the Telling." Her vocals grew soft, and her gaze lifted to the moon above her. "May Luna bless this event, as she has before." Dimly, she heard the others murmuring pleas much like her own. She shifted, and all present could witness the slight change in her. "Luna, though she rarely shows it, has the distinct ability to become like us, as do all her relations. However, she is most often seen as her lunar form." Another gaze cast toward the moon hanging above, as if she too was craning her neck to hear the story that the elder wolf was speaking of.

"There was one such time that it is said she met with a spirit. He guarded the night and battled with the daylight that Sola commanded. He was her counterpart, though it was rare to get a sighting of this allusive brute. He had no name and simply called himself Dark." The elderly female paused again, drawing a strengthening breathe. "Moons later, a litter resulted, said to protect each element. However, only the eldest Odine would survive to take his place with his mother and father. The other three, his sisters, were named Aero, Pyra, and Terra respectively for the elements that they had been chosen to protect." The elder paused again, then continued after a moment of gazing at the moon.

"Now, Luna wanted desperately to care for her children, but she had swore to watch over us and our descendants as well. She knew she must do what she had sworn to, so she took three days, at the end of each of her waning and waxing cycles, to visit and care for her children. For a brief period they thrived. Then," her voice grew ominous, "She returned to find three of the four missing. Pyra, Aero, and Terra had been stolen and cast down into our territory. Only little Odine retained the godlike power he had been gifted. The others were scattered, and Luna, though heartbroken, could not leave Odine behind as he was unstable. She assumed the others lost, or worse. Young Odine now works beside his mother and relatives, keeping our water cool and plentiful. Sola is an almost constant threat, drying up his reserves and testing his strength. He constantly prevails though, for he holds the strength of our beloved Luna in his veins. His sisters however, are believed to be alive."

She took in the awed expressions of her audience before continuing again. "The three sisters were scattered upon our territory, and while no longer holding their affinities, they each held a special bond to the element they had once protected. Pyra, the standoffish of the three, quickly left her sisters, and she was never seen, though many believe she rejoined the pack after some time. Aero and Terra lived in our pack lands, and incorporated themselves into our very pack. You may have even seen them or know them. They warn us if they think bad weather is approaching or if the herds are migrating toward us. They protect us. They are us."

She finished her story with a contented sigh, settling to the earth and again glancing up at the sky. The elderly black female would look down however, as one of the younger whelps stood and addressed her. "Yes child?" came her rusted vocal.

"Elder," the young male started, using the respectful term all Hu`li elders had earned. "Isn't your name Terra?"

She gave a small smile, and a nod. "Why yes child, it is."