.xX The baddest apples fall from rotten trees., [p] Meccu

[Skoll]

His run-in with Rasp was long past him. They had called it a draw; it was hard to determine a winner, after all, when they had both knocked themselves out with how hard their heads were. It had been a good exercise and a good bit of time for two minds that were stagnating. Rasp suffered more than Skoll from the desire to rip and tear, to fight and fight until he couldn't go anymore. There were times, though, when Skoll missed it too. There was little to fight though. Rumors had spread that Raidon was back, which would then mean things would be more focused. Perhaps they might get a jump start on things. Perhaps his need as a scout and a potential spy might be finally realized. It would distract his mind from other thoughts. His beloved moon, of course, took up much of his mind but lately it had been straying to another; the startling white female that had danced and sung about him before demurely taking her departure. He was certain it was something sent to torment him with his own thoughts. Skoll needed a working distraction. A hunt, an intruder, an order to see just what Ohu had to offer in terms of soldiers and subordinates. Something, anything. Though the longing to fight didn't fill it as it did his other compatriot, it was still there. Skoll wouldn't mind sinking his fangs into some flesh, shaking an idiot dog who thought he could just sneak by their defenses. It would be better if it were an Ohu dog. Imagine bringing a spy or an idiotic wanderer from Ohu into the main pack. The dog would never return him, that was for certain. It would be interesting to see what happened, though. The bright glare of the sun beat down on the black of his coat and he stifled a growl of irritation. It would be better were it night; even the blackest of night without the light of the moon was better than the sun, heresy though it was to say. The sun made him irritable, distracted him; it glared and burned and made things unbearable. It was no wonder he usually holed himself up during the day rather than traversing the land. Most of his patrols were during the night. Woe be to anyone who came upon him during the day and pushed him just the slightest wrong way. © Judah & Sker.

[Meccu]

The accursed living had landed a lucky blow. The Beauceron turned war machine was forced to retreat. Who knows how far he had gone these past weeks. All that Meccu knew is that he needed to override the repair protocol and head north to finish what he had started. He vision is blocked by rows of code as he battles the damned programming inside his own mind.

He lets out a soul chilling howl as he comes to a stop. The clanking of his joints ceases and the green glow fades from his eyes. The mechanized fiend goes silent as he powers down and stands with his head hanging low. Then as if he were an appliance in a household that reactivated after a power outage he flickers back to life.

After testing out his limbs, jaw and vision modes he laughs wickedly. The beast was back to full operation was ready to begin his purge anew. “Yes, I’ve been freed,” he whispers to himself before setting off. But it’s only then that he notices that his guidance system has been deactivated. He lets his irritation know with an ear piercing scream. “Damnation and extermination!”

Meccu growls in a cold tone as he sets off in an unknown direction. The technological terror wasn’t angry at his own flaws he was enraged because he had to do something that he never dreamed of, that is if he did dream. He would have to request the aid of living in order to spread death.

Wandering around for who knows how long he spots a dark figure in the woods. Switching to his thermal vision with a blink he confirms it is alive. And by its shape it looked canine. That’ll ease communications well enough, but the thought of asking for help bothered him.

Once he was in ear shot he shouts, “You! Tell me which direction is north and you’ll live long enough to see the sunset.” With his gears grinding and eyes glowing he approaches the dog. Maybe if he’s lucky he’ll just intimidate the dog so he can on his way. Though he would have to return here eventually once the north was purged.

[Skoll]

The sound of something echoing through the day was the first to catch his attention. It was an odd sound. Skoll had never had time for humans but that didn't mean he hadn't encountered them before. He had passed through cities; he knew they had odd bits of things that looked as if they were alive but were not. This certainly had a quality to it that sounded like that. That made no sense. Humans didn't come out this way. They certainly didn't bring their alive but not alive things out this far into the forests either. Next came a rhythmic noise, like something walking but there was clanking and scraping. Altogether not natural. Skoll's ears swiveled about, picking up the sounds as they drew nearer and nearer. He wasn't afraid, not really; he had never run into anything as of yet that had caused him a great scare. He was annoyed, though, and wondered just what the hell it could be that made that sound. His questions were answered far earlier than he would have thought. A deep, menacing, booming voice called out towards him. It demanded things of him. Skoll could be a roguish gentleman; he could be polite and nice if it suited him. Someone immediately demanding that he do something and then promising that he would live? That did not earn Skoll's respect or favor. It incensed him, especially on such a hot and bright day as this one. "As if a mutt like yourself could ever kill me," Skoll snarled. He was not invincible, no. Yet the thought of such a dog taking him out was inconceivable... at least to his mind. Of course, this thought ran through with just about any dog that he met and threatened him or wanted to fight. He wasn't convinced of his own immortality but he was possessed with a severe lack of being able to accept that a pitiful dog other than, perhaps, some of the few within the Southern Alps pack could even touch him let alone harm him. There was still an odd quality to the other dog's voice that bothered him though. It unsettled him; the hackles on his neck and back rose even before he had thought of really giving a warning, a threat. "What kind of idiot doesn't know how to find north?" It was a simple instinct to him. He wasn't much of an insult-slinger or a dog that talked before and during battle. His temper was up though and that made for more irrational fighting methods than he usually used. © Judah & Sker.

[Meccu]

The dastardly automaton smiles as the ignorant living defies him. The fleshy creature had no idea what he was dealing with. If it were any other day Meccu would kill him, but he needed the information. And by the looks of it he was going to have to beat it out of him. He would just keep himself in check and not render the living completely useless.

With a deep menacing laugh his dark eyes begin to simmer. “You pathetic insignificant fool,” His black heart begins to pump the dark fluids through his body. As it picks up momentum it bangs against its steel casing. The resulting CLANG sound repeats like a war drum and gets louder as the heart beat increases speed. “I am no mere dog like you. I am Grim Reaper’s hand made manifest.” Twin streams of smoke leek out of opposite sides of his mouth as Meccu grins. His metallic teeth reflect the sun light towards the dog.

Breathing deeply readying himself for his ear piercing scream he makes his final offer, “Now tell me, which way is north. And I will forgive your arrogance.” His eyes blaze an alien green as he takes one step toward the living.

[Skoll]

"Arrogance?" Skoll echoed the word with a deep snarl of his own. He didn't know what this thing was, who he was. It was startling, it was like nothing he had seen in his life's experience. Who had, after all, ever seen a dog such as this one before? It was wholly like no canine he had ever seen. That didn't stop him from wanting to thrash it. Skoll had never run from anything in his life. He knew that he was not invincible and that sometimes you couldn't win but he had still never run. Even if this thing terrified him he would not run from it. He would meet it head on. "You dare trespass on the lands of Lord Raidon and Lady Hitora? You stomp through these lands with no respect? Yet I am arrogant?!" The German shepherd practically howled the words out in a challenge. Skoll might not have an incredibly deep set loyalty but he had still chosen the Southern Alps as the pack that he would join. For better or for worse, Raidon was his Leader and this was the land that the Akita ruled. To allow this dog to pass without challenge would be a crime against the duties he had been given. To run would be shameful. Instead, he would run towards it and attack it. Perhaps he could not win and he could not kill it, but Skoll would let this dog that wasn't a dog know that he had erred when setting foot in this land. The male didn't allow himself much time to think. He merely charged at the not-dog. It was a good thing he had spent time fighting with Rasp. He wasn't completely out of fighting trim thanks to that. He didn't know if his methods would work in the least on this beast but he would try. If he could drive him away from Raidon's land that was the most important part. "North is to the north, you great fool! Do I need to tell you how to find your ass, too?" The acrid smell of smoke assaulted his nostrils, human smells, the noises of something that weren't alive; all of it detracted from the sense of reality. None more so, however, than when fangs met what should be the flesh of the neck and only skidded painfully against something decidedly harder. What- © Judah & Sker.

[Meccu]

WIP