03-24-2018, 10:55 AM
[align=center][div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12.5px; width: 420px; line-height: 100%; color: black; margin-top: 10px"][justify]the merge had been... problematic, to say the least. with no sense of order or laws to abide, it'd been far dfferent from the close ranking of his pack. an alpha to lead and protect, a beta to command, an omega to keep the peace. runestone had always been the omega of his pack, diffusing arguments and keeping the pack together when times got tough between them. he knew nothing of how to lead, that was always left to the eldest of his pack; his father, hyacinth and his brother, deimos. oh sun and stars, what he wouldn't give to have them by his side, taking command as he faded into the background, collected herbs or joked with rosebreath - but the pale wolf knew better than to wish for the impossible. he hadn't seen his father or deimos in what felt like an eon, not since the clans fled to the relative safety of the rocky mountain slopes, away from the worst of the radiation. now, instead of the leaders of his pack, it was him standing alone at the helm of an old ship, a ragged band of survivors gathered behind him as the small vessel finally hit white sand beaches. irradiated seas stretched out for miles all around, save for the smudge of mainland coastline visible on the horizon, and the large, forested island opening out in front of them.
after the harsh conditions of the mountains, this temperate oasis would seem like a paradise, but runestone had learned better than to trust blindly. though the secluded island was beautiful, it's pink sun and gentle breezes warm and welcoming on his thick pelt, it was not entirely safe, not yet. the isle hid it's dangers well, irradiated waters playing shelter to horrific mutants, sheer cliff faces leading down to deceptively calm pools. the forests held residence to native flora and fauna, predator and prey alike; carnivorous plants where the trees grew thickest, mutated animals and creatures thought to be extinct entirely. but where there was danger, there was also safety. a fishing village on the northern coast would likely provide shelter to all those who sought it, treehouses in the forest edges that would serve as guard towers when the need arose. a lighthouse on the western shore could be restored, used as a beacon to all those who might find themselves lost. tolerance to the irradiated atmosphere would need to be built up slowly over time, but he and rosebreath had already devised a system for that. yes, there were negatives - but the positives far outweighed them. this island would soon enough become their home, their atlantis.
runestone stood vigil at the helm of the ship as the small band of survivors slowly padded out onto warm white sand, faces alight with awe as they explored their new home for the first time. rosebreath went with them, herding children and adults alike from the inviting waves and more towards the old stone lighthouse further inland. the guardian didn't leave his post until he was sure that everyone was safely on the island, casting one last glance into the sea as an impossibly large shadow sunk to the depths and out of view. the sight made his hackles rise, his pace increasing towards where the majority of the animals had gathered around rose. the wolf sat next to his brother and waited for the elder wolf to say something, when he realized all eyes were fixed on him. oh. oh, he was... supposed to speak? heat flushed in his cheeks as the guardian fumbled over what to say, eventually settling on a basic introduction.
"welcome! friends, family, survivors. we are all one and the same, all of us have been through a horrific past few months, and all of us made it through, together." he paused, raising his head a little higher and squaring his shoulders back, confidence surging through him at the sight of contented smiles all around him. "some of you may know me, others might not, and that's okay. my name is runestone marrowtooth, and i'm here to protect and adjure anyone who wishes to reside in this isle. while you are here, no harm will come to you, i promise you that." the timber wolf paused, taking small breath and scanning the crowd for any sign of unease, continuing on when he found none. "there are a few important things you need to know before i can allow you to wander the island freely. for your own safety, stay away from the seas surrounding the island, radiation has poisoned not only the water, but the creatures within it, mutating them in ways that you couldn't possibly imagine. it is dangerous, but the danger can be avoided so long as you do not engage it." the scar on his side throbbed with mild pain as he recalled the first encounter with one of those creatures, eyes squeezing shut to will the memory away. he would not let that happen to his people.
"secondly," the wolf continued, clearing his throat. "the radiation here is different from the mainland. you may have noticed that the sun is a little pink if you look at it long enough? that's the radiation in the atmosphere, and this island is full of the same stuff. it's not as strong as the stuff back on the mainland, but it'll do strange things to you if you're not careful. rosebreath and i have been building up a tolerance by drinking small amounts of irradiated water from the natural springs further inland, and you'll all have to do the same. until you've built up a full tolerance, we've got fresh water and rations from the mainland to sustain you all. okay, last thing! there's a small village on the northern coast, that's where we'll set up camp until we've fully explored the island. there's an orchard right next to it, don't eat any of the fruit until you've built up a tolerance." with one last breath, the wolf let his posture relax and dismissed the miniature meeting.
"that's all for now folks! have fun and stay safe, welcome to atlantis."
after the harsh conditions of the mountains, this temperate oasis would seem like a paradise, but runestone had learned better than to trust blindly. though the secluded island was beautiful, it's pink sun and gentle breezes warm and welcoming on his thick pelt, it was not entirely safe, not yet. the isle hid it's dangers well, irradiated waters playing shelter to horrific mutants, sheer cliff faces leading down to deceptively calm pools. the forests held residence to native flora and fauna, predator and prey alike; carnivorous plants where the trees grew thickest, mutated animals and creatures thought to be extinct entirely. but where there was danger, there was also safety. a fishing village on the northern coast would likely provide shelter to all those who sought it, treehouses in the forest edges that would serve as guard towers when the need arose. a lighthouse on the western shore could be restored, used as a beacon to all those who might find themselves lost. tolerance to the irradiated atmosphere would need to be built up slowly over time, but he and rosebreath had already devised a system for that. yes, there were negatives - but the positives far outweighed them. this island would soon enough become their home, their atlantis.
runestone stood vigil at the helm of the ship as the small band of survivors slowly padded out onto warm white sand, faces alight with awe as they explored their new home for the first time. rosebreath went with them, herding children and adults alike from the inviting waves and more towards the old stone lighthouse further inland. the guardian didn't leave his post until he was sure that everyone was safely on the island, casting one last glance into the sea as an impossibly large shadow sunk to the depths and out of view. the sight made his hackles rise, his pace increasing towards where the majority of the animals had gathered around rose. the wolf sat next to his brother and waited for the elder wolf to say something, when he realized all eyes were fixed on him. oh. oh, he was... supposed to speak? heat flushed in his cheeks as the guardian fumbled over what to say, eventually settling on a basic introduction.
"welcome! friends, family, survivors. we are all one and the same, all of us have been through a horrific past few months, and all of us made it through, together." he paused, raising his head a little higher and squaring his shoulders back, confidence surging through him at the sight of contented smiles all around him. "some of you may know me, others might not, and that's okay. my name is runestone marrowtooth, and i'm here to protect and adjure anyone who wishes to reside in this isle. while you are here, no harm will come to you, i promise you that." the timber wolf paused, taking small breath and scanning the crowd for any sign of unease, continuing on when he found none. "there are a few important things you need to know before i can allow you to wander the island freely. for your own safety, stay away from the seas surrounding the island, radiation has poisoned not only the water, but the creatures within it, mutating them in ways that you couldn't possibly imagine. it is dangerous, but the danger can be avoided so long as you do not engage it." the scar on his side throbbed with mild pain as he recalled the first encounter with one of those creatures, eyes squeezing shut to will the memory away. he would not let that happen to his people.
"secondly," the wolf continued, clearing his throat. "the radiation here is different from the mainland. you may have noticed that the sun is a little pink if you look at it long enough? that's the radiation in the atmosphere, and this island is full of the same stuff. it's not as strong as the stuff back on the mainland, but it'll do strange things to you if you're not careful. rosebreath and i have been building up a tolerance by drinking small amounts of irradiated water from the natural springs further inland, and you'll all have to do the same. until you've built up a full tolerance, we've got fresh water and rations from the mainland to sustain you all. okay, last thing! there's a small village on the northern coast, that's where we'll set up camp until we've fully explored the island. there's an orchard right next to it, don't eat any of the fruit until you've built up a tolerance." with one last breath, the wolf let his posture relax and dismissed the miniature meeting.
"that's all for now folks! have fun and stay safe, welcome to atlantis."
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