The Black Mass

[Wolf of Juska]

Vyruss Deadmoon surveyed his horde from the outcrop of rock around which they had camped. Six hundred black-dyed vermin rested, fed and squabbled before him. A group of foxes that Vyruss had recruited from a pirate crew, made carefree by untold pints of ale, were discordantly singing a song that rang for quite a distance over the flat wilderness:

"Fifteen weasels on a dead rat's chest,
Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum!
Drink and Vulpuz had done for the rest,
Yo, ho, ho, and a bottle of rum!"

The campsite was alive with rattling of bones, the grotesque mementoes that the hordebeasts, in imitation of their leader, had hung from their garments. Vyruss idly poked at a rat skull that hung from the muscled frame of his wings, their leathery webs having burned away in the fire that had marked his life. It made an ominous sound, the spine-tingling rattling that was caused by the skull rebounding off neighbouring bones joining the eerie howl of the wind as it whistled through the cavities and eye sockets.

The bat ignored the chill of the winter night as he settled down to rest, his back resting against the gruesome banner of his horde; his army; the Black Mass.

[Blackbeak Silvertalon]

Liulfr Blackfeather watched the bat as it settled back to sleep. He jumped up into the air and circled once before landing on the ground next to the foxes. He fixed his eyes on Vyruss, but the bat probably wouldn't know, owing to the armour on Liulfr's head. He opened his beak and let out a harsh caw, then picked his mace and chain up from the ground.

'Who are you, bat?'

[Wolf of Juska]

Vyruss opened one eye. "Attention," he grunted. Within a split second, every hordebeast in the immediate vicinity had sprung to their paws and drawn their weapons; all except for the foxes, who were busy having a hangover. Picking himself up without hurry, Vyrrus said lazily "All you need to know at this moment in time is that I have enough authority here to have any of the beasts surrounding you slay you on the spot. I can see you're a fighter, so you'd probably take a few with you, but withotu a doubt you'd succumb under the sheer weight of numbers.'' The bat picked idly at an ear before advancing forward, the gruesome trophies that hung from his wings clinking ominously. "And now it's your turn to introduce yourself, bird."

[Blackbeak Silvertalon]

Liulfr cawed again, flapping his wings in agitation at the horde leader.

'I am Liulfr Blackfeather!'

He shook his head, the helmet and chain-mail rattling and hissing as it clinked together audibly. Liulfr fixed his gaze on the bat again.

'I see that your wings are burned, and I can fly. Not even archers can stop me, bat. You could try, but I came for a specific reason.'

[Wolf of Juska]

"As a matter of interest,I have few magpies over there who enjoy a good fight despite acting primarily as scouts," answered Vyruss. "Nevertheless....what is this reason?" He nodded at the hordebeasts. "Good show of alretness. You can relax. Apart from you lot," he concluded icily, turnign to the drunken foxes. "I'll deal with you later."

[Blackbeak Silvertalon]

Liulfr pecked at his armor, almost clipping one of the drunken fox on the head. He lifted up into the air, sending a huge blast of cold air over the vermin. He flew a distance away from a tree and swung the mace and chain, slicing the entire top of the tree off. It landed away from the vermin with a heavy thud.

'I have been following you since my friends were killed. And I come to make a preposition. I would like to join your army.'

[Wolf of Juska]

Vyruss regarded the stricken tree for a few moments in silence. Then, turning slowly, he fixed the blackbird with a his blood red stare. "Welcome to the Black Mass...Lliufr."

[Blackbeak Silvertalon]

Liulfr bowed, lowering his head so his beak nearly touched the ground, then straightened up, his chain-mail armour clinking ominously, waiting for Vyruss to speak again.

(Short post...can't think of anything to say...)

[Wolf of Juska]

Vyruss nodded almost imperceptibly. "Go and bunk down somewhere. We'll discuss your position in the morning. And remember..." the bat's eyes gleamed with burning satisfaction. "You answer to me now."

[Mako]

(Um, you guys don't mind if I join, right?)

Ironclaws had been watching everything that had been going on. The new recruit being recruited. That bat sleeping. Magpies lounging... Everything. Nothing missed his gaze. He didn't have his helmet with him, just a long cloak that covered his feet and arms, and above all, his trident. It was strapped on his back, over the cloak. He Threw the hood over his head and popped out of hiding and walked behind a fox. He had a dagger drawn and grabbed the fox from behind. He held his dagger at the beast's throat. Ironclaws moved towards the bat, never taking his eyes off of his horde. "I wish to join your..." He surveyed everyone there then ended his sentence. "...Army." Ironclaws turned his back to the bat, still holding the fox and the dagger. He turned back to the bat and awaited a response. "I can be... Very...Very valuable to you." He said. He wasn't afraid of his identity being revealed, because the hood blocked the visions of everybeast there. His face was unseen. He was dangerous at this time of night.

[Wolf of Juska]

Vyruss gave the starnger a calculating look. "Please unhand that beast. I don't believe in unnecessary killing. You're skilled at stealth, I'll give you that. But I doubt even you could hold up against six hundred hordebeasts. Now...you want to join the Black Mass? Then you can start by removing that hood."

[Mako]

Ironclaws snarled. He threw the beast somewhere, not even caring to look. He sheathed his dagger and pulled his hood off. It resembled a muscular face a fully grown male wildcat. "Happy?" He asked mockingly. "Tell me the available positions." He said in a level tone.

[Wolf of Juska]

"Available positions? For someone who'sgood at sneaking you seem to be in a hurry. First I want to see what you're really worth. For now, you'll be part of a shock troup." Vyruss gestured towards a band of unusually silent vermin who were clustered around a small fire at the edge of the camp. They consisted mostly of ferrets and rats; they wore no bones on their clothes, and their weapons were sheathed in velvet. They were expert assasins.

"Your job in that squad will be to sneak amongst enemy ranks; you primary goal, to exterminate the leader. I'll be watching your performance when we clash with another horde; if you bring me the head of a hordeleader, you can have command of the squad. Until then, you take your immediate commands from Shadowpaw." Vyruss motioned to a cowled stoat who was regarding his new recruit with impassive eyes. "Just remember that I make the rules here. Any escapades or attempts to challenge authority will result in swift retribution." As if from nowhere, eight iron clawblades appeared on his paws, each one slotted over a claw.

[Mako]

"I live to serve you...Master." He said with an evil smile. Ironclaws moved closer to the bat."How 'bout I bring you one of his loved ones? Then you can threaten to kill his loved one. If he says he'll give you anything... You get a nice edition to your...." He looked around again t the numbers. "....Army." He said. "When do we move out?" Was all he said.

[Blackbeak Silvertalon]

Liulfr bowed to Vyruss and walked away, then heard the sound of another creature entering the camp. He turned and watched the discussion between his Master and the wildcat Ironclaws. When the discussion left off, he half walked, half flew over to Ironclaws, scratching the ground with his talons. A low growl-like sound escaped from the blackbird's throat.

'Hello, wildcat.'

Liulfr Blackfeather turned his back on the wildcat and launched upward, wings spread out as he landed on a huge piece of rock protruding from the cliff face. He turned his eyes to the newer recruit, wings spread, muttering so softly that nobeast, not even he could hear.