((OOC: Man, you guys post fast. O.O Well, sorry I didn't post yesterday, but I didn't know that people had moved on so quickly. >_<
Somehow I've managed to make my character look like a suicidal puppy in this post. 0_o (But just because he's suicidal doesn't mean that I want you guys to kill him. >_<)
Houl's main battle is basically over, but before you guys get mad at me for attacking another person, lemme explain... Me and MM are having a one-on-one duel that's probably gonna wind up being separate from the main battle, so... you know, if you get the urge to jump into that battle... take your time. ^_^')
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=^= Houl =^=
Though Houl was temporarily out of commission, the smells and sounds of battle were as loud and dynamic as ever. Each of the heroes were fighting their own group of carnivorous enemies, and unfortunately, they were doing very well. Slowly, each of his comrades fell to sneak attacks and just plain brute force, crimpling to the ground, their heads bowed low in fear. His power was slowly dimming… even his pack was growing weary of the constant strikes, the effects of his Empathetic Roar dulling in their minds. Was… was there even a chance to win this battle now? Or would he have to run away, his tail between his legs, a disgrace?
"I made sure to miss all vital organs.” Looking up, Houl spotted the birdman holding a rather bruised and despondent rabbit by its ears. “Take him or her,” he commanded, “and leave now. You can still save him or her if you hurry. If not, he/she will die from blood loss in a few hours. There is an animal hospital down south, but first, you'll have to make him/her normal again... right now, he/she has different traits than a normal rabbit... I love nature, and those from it. Please, let these animals free from your control, and only take the ones who come back to you willingly. They deserve freedom." And he placed the rabbit by Houl’s feet.
As the birdman walked away, Houl’s eyes wandered to the rabbit. He felt its heart fluttering; its eyes were dulled by tiredness. He could feel its sadness, how it had tried so hard only to fail. It made him, sad, too, to see that one of his pack had fallen so silent. On all fours, he crawled over to it, his eyes downcast, and licked at its wounds. The blood tasted salty on his tongue, exciting the craving that was constantly beating in his heart, but he restrained himself with his own melancholy.
They didn’t understand. The heroes, the birdman… everyone saw him as a puppetmaster, a beast whose selfish desires let him force his mind above the consciousness of nature. But... but he wasn’t like that. Empathy… that was the transfer of emotions… he didn’t control his pack; he encouraged them, organized them into a battalion, made sure that the battle was in there favor. Of course, he couldn’t say that he had done so right now; his comrades were strewn about the battlefield, most whimpering in pain. Whose fault was it for his pack’s injuries: the heroes or himself? Had he just underestimated them, or worse… had he overestimated his own abilities as a leader?
A confident thought blew into his mind – he could save them now if he called off the attack. Truly, there wasn’t else he could do at the moment. But where were they supposed to go? To the animal hospital the birdman had mentioned? There wasn’t a single chance that any human would save the lives of any animal in his pack, especially after the chaos they had caused across the city. He shook his head in pity; humans were so naïve.
Another wave of snow and hail blew across the battlefield. Had he not used it a few minutes before, and it should have done some serious damage. Fortunately, Houl noticed the attacks formation, and a quick command allowed his pack to dodge the main power of the storm. Of course, they didn’t come out unscathed; several of the hail-like darts scraped against their hides and left thin gashes on their sides. Houl himself had been hit a few times in the face, reopening the wounds caused by Detour earlier in the battle. A bright light appeared in the sky, similar to the ones that had blown across the battlefield earlier on. Houl looked away from it, his head turned to the ground.
Suddenly, a strange smell began to waver in the air. Houl turned his head to the sky, sniffing vigorously to pinpoint the exact location of the scent. What… what was that… that delicious smell? It smelled so familiar, and yet he couldn’t place a name. It was… kinda crunchy… maybe a bit pig-like… and a bit fatty, which obviously meant that it was some sort of delicacy. And man, did it make him hungry.
Really hungry.
He glanced at the rabbit, which had suddenly grown ten times more appetizing. The thing didn’t have much meat on it, but… well, it was going to die sooner or later. He lowered his head, opened his mouth, and placed it across the rabbit’s neck. Just one movement… one twitch would be enough to kill the little critter. He had just about decided to break the rabbit’s neck when the smell faded away, and, snapping back into reality, he leapt back in the fear of his own actions.
He had just been ready to kill one of his own. Maybe… he really was a monster…
Shaking his head, he turned his gaze to the battlefield. The heroes had left to go inspect the rubble of a nearby building, probably caused by the metal birdman they had been fighting before. Well, two heroes were still nearby – the cowgirl and the girl on that floating metal board. He pondered the idea of attacking the latter, but decided against it; though the girl was unconscious, she was still (somehow) balanced on top of the metal board, and Houl didn’t particularly feel like trying to reach that high. Now the cowgirl, however… was a different story. He glanced in her direction. Attacking her would cause some of the other heroes to start fighting again, and he didn’t need another battle breaking out. But if they didn’t notice she was gone…
Standing up on two legs, he let out one more Empathetic Roar. The animals in his pack, gathered around him. Those that were healthier took the injured upon their backs. Stepping over to the rabbit, he picked the critter up and let it sit on top of his head.
Suddenly, he ran towards the cowgirl on all fours, gaining speed. His pack followed close behind, carrying the wounded. It appeared that he might try to lunge at her, but as he came close enough for an attack, he leapt upward, soaring above her and landing on the ground behind. Two of the healthier coyotes bit at the cowgirl’s clothes, each taking a sleeve, and continued running behind their leader, dragging the girl along. By the time anyone knew what was happening, Houl, the pack, and the cowgirl had disappeared.
His plan was working well… for a few minutes, anyway. But after escaping some distance away from the old battlefield, one of the coyotes holding the girl tripped, (and yes, coyotes can indeed trip), letting go and tumbling into the other. Houl skidded to a stop after hearing the thuds of two coyotes landing on the ground, and, noticing that the cowgirl was free, resumed an aggressive stance. He thought about commanding his pack to take her hostage again, but a brief glance at their tired faces told him to do otherwise. His pack was positively exhaunsted; Houl wondered if they could keep running in their current condition.
The words of the half-faced birdman came into his mind again. Maybe he was controlling them like some sort of puppetmaster… I mean, he didn’t think he was, but he could’ve been wrong. Maybe he wasn’t just influencing their emotions… maybe he was influencing their thoughts, their personalities. But how could he know? That super had mentioned letting them go and seeing who would return, but he was a human, and how could humans know anything about the animal kingdom? Still… it could work, even if it did weaken him.
He let out one final Empathetic Roar, sending his pack towards the woods to hide. They’d make it there just fine, he knew, but he couldn’t help but worry… what would they do once his Roar wore off? He knew that coyotes and wolves hated each other’s guts, that they would attack each other at a single glance. And what about the rabbit? That little critter had been pretty violent when Houl had found him. He opened his mouth to take his command back, but his pack had already left. Guess there wasn’t much he could do about it now…
He turned toward the cowgirl. Maybe it was better to fight her alone; after all, he didn’t know what she could do. Maybe, if he beat her, the rest of the heroes would leave him alone. Maybe, if she beat him, then the supers would haul him away and lock him up tight in a tiny little cage deep underground, never to see the light of day… Maybe, if she beat him, he’d die. But that would be alright. He’d never have to see if his pack was loyal, quench a hunger that was always craving, and feel the stares of his own kind (and others) like daggers in his back.
That… would be nice…
Inventory (including animals under his control):
+ None