Arora

Arora carried her black-tipped tail a little higher than she ought to, but the gray-coated wolf with brimming with confidence and a desire for vengeance after what the humans did to her father and Tayzeka. And though she had no clue where she was going or what exactly she was going to do when she got there, the scent of other canines eventually caught her nose and drew her towards the Pound.

Caution eventually took the wolfess, slowing her pace as the odor of humans became stronger. She stole through the trees and shrubs, using cover now until the building and its array of kennels finally came into view. Taken aback by the strangeness of it, Arora stopped in her tracks, and looked back to see if Megatron had followed her to this point.

Megatron

He followed her and glanced around. His tail stiff as he approached a few kennels warily.

Arora

"Megs!" Arora whispered harshly, watching Megatron leave the security of cover to investigate some of the cages. The wolfess lingered in the shrubs for a moment or two longer before slinking out herself, and forcing her own tail to raise high despite her apprehension. Padding up beside Megatron, her eyes roved the length of kennels. "This is worse than I thought. Why do humans do this?"

In the cage directly in front of them was a small dog with golden-blond coat, and floppy ears covered in silky, wavy fur. His tail had similarly silky fur, hanging at length in that same wavy pattern that stood in stark contrast to the dense, brushy coat of the wolves. Having never seen a dog before, Arora couldn't help but stare at the oddity in front of her, mistaking the short-legged spaniel mix for a puppy rather than adult that he was. "...I've never seen a pet dog before. They really are quite different."

Megatron

He sniffed a the cage ignoring Arora sharp warning as she joined him soon after. He eyed the small dog. what are you, who are you why are you in this thing?He questioned it.

Arora

The spaniel blinked up at his larger cousins with rounded, chocolate-brown eyes. Past the hint of fear, it was sadness that overshadowed his puppy-dog gaze as he turned his attention from Arora to Megatron. "I'm a dog?" His answer came with a bit of confusion before it dawned on him that these wild wolves must have no clue about the different breeds there were. "A spaniel, to be more specific; well, my mom was a spaniel. I don't know about my dad." The silky-furred mutt sat up, "..and I don't know. My master brought me here a few weeks ago, and never came back for me."

Arora frowned and turned an eye to Megatron, "See the collar he wears? I'm sure this is what those humans want to do with dad and your mom. They'll come back, and lock them in a cage like this."

Megatron

He listened to the little dog in the cage. never heard of such a thingHe said to the dog before continuning down the line. I won't let themHe growled.

Arora

"Me neither." Arora vowed as she followed Megatron down the line of outdoor kennels, her eyes flashing over one dog to the next in a mix of pity and disgust. She stopped in her stride when a particularly long-legged dog rushed the front of her kennel, barking and bristling her coarse, silver-brown fur. Putting aside the fright she got from the sudden noise, the wolf pressed her ears forward and snarled, "Quit your yapping, mongrel!"

Megatron

Megatron on the other hand couldn't help but react and pushed himself between the cage and Arora his own teeth bared and growling at the mongrel.you best hope those bars remain between us trashHe snarled.

Arora & *Dogs*

The tall, wiry dog bared her gleaming white teeth even further and bayed at the pair before lunging forward to meet Megatron's challenge. The metal links of the fence kept her from reaching him of course, "If I'm trash, you're the worms that crawl beneath it." She spat her venom at the pair and reared up in a futile attempt to paw at the fence.

Arora's eyes widened at the sheer height this long-limbed dog reached when she rose on her hind quarters, but at the same time, seeing the dog's belly and throat exposed right in front of her made the wolf want to lunge forward and sink her fangs into those vitals. To that end, her eyes roved the curious metal loops that kept them separated, and she was so focused on this that she didn't hear the shout of a human voice from somewhere within the shelter...

Megatron

Megatron laughed at the dog.I am pure wolf mutt I am far better then you degrading thingsHe snarled and attacked teh fence in warning

Astra

Astra kept to herself most of the time these days, striking humans when they strayed too far from the center of the city and leaving her calling card beside the casualty: a sprig of nightshade. She kept dozens of these toxic plants in the leather pouch she carried around her neck and was exceedingly careful not to ingest any part of the plant. Alongside these flowers, she kept "souvenirs" in the pouch, usually in the form of a scrap of clothing or a piece of jewelry.

But today in her usual patrol past the dog pound, she heard commotion. She crept closer, keeping a close eye out for humans, and soon spotted Megatron and Arora. The hybrid observed from a distance for a while, her functional tail raised slightly, with the useless, non-functional tail - the result of a birth defect - hanging limply.

It was when she heard the shout of a human that she decided to engage. Lowering her tail, she rushed forward and let out a quiet yip, both a greeting and an alarm, to the two wolves. "You don't know me, I don't know you, but I watch out for the feral and wild and I don't think you want to be so close to the humans and their pets." She neglected to inform them that her worry was partly brought on by the wolves' apparent naivety on the subject of domestic animals, as she didn't want to alienate them. It truly was her intent to help these unfamiliar canines. She had been alone for so long. It was a blessing to see others, especially strangers. Her family had made too many enemies, and strangers were unlikely to recognize her as the daughter of Nightshade and one of Tahti's progeny.

She cast a passing glance to the caged dog, her expression softening to one of pity. If she could free all these dogs, she would.

Arora & Others

An eager whine escaped the wolf as she searched in vain for a weak spot on the fence. Her blood was up, and she wanted a piece of this snarling dog that continued to taunt them. She tried her teeth against the metal loops once, and quickly recoiled at the surprising coldness and deeply metallic taste that lingered in her mouth afterwards, "Forgot about this one Megs, lets..." Her head and ears swiveled to a muffled noise from within the building, hearing the human's shout. Her heart began to race, but before she could nudge her companion, a nearby yip had her whirling around.

Arora's amber eyes fell an a canine slightly larger than herself, whom she immediately recognized as not being pure wolf. Those oddly rounded ears were a dead give-away, even though the rest of her appeared very lupine. The next thing the wolfess noted was a most curious item hanging from the other's neck, which she quickly equated to some strange form of collar. Warily, Arora quieted her growling and side-glanced at Megatron to seek his opinion on the newcomer.

"That's our goal today, actually." She responded at length, still sizing Astra up, trying to determine if this canine was friend or foe. The ebony-coated hybrid at least showed no aggression, and seemed to have genuine concern, and that alone led to Arora easing down her raised hackles, even if she kept her head and tail high. "The humans assaulted our pack, so we're going to teach them a lesson. -are you a pet?" She nodded her pale gray muzzle to the pouch that dangled below Astra's neck.

Megatron

His ears flick at the human shouts. He lands back on his front paws and was beginning to turn away when Astra came over. He eyed her but let ARora do the talking.

Astra

Astra kept a respectful distance from the wolves, preferring to avoid confrontations with those who had not caused her harm. Her tails remained low, but her ears were perked and alert. Upon Arora's explanation, a devilish grin came across the hybrid's face. "Ah... you've come to the right place, my friends." She raised her head slightly, giving her tail a playful wag. "I'm Astra, daughter of Nightshade and James, menace to the humans. I hunted them with my mother. It's all I knew, and I carry on her legacy." A hint of pride mingled with her words, her eyes beaming with excitement. Perhaps she could be a mentor to these wild canines, furthering the impact on the humans.

She was taken aback by Arora's question regarding her pouch. A look of mild confusion overtook her prideful expression, but it quickly faded and she shook her head. "The pouch is confusing, I know. I am not a pet, however. I stole this pouch from the humans. I keep mementos from my kills in it to bring back to my great-great grandmother's shrine, and I carry nightshade flowers in it to leave at the scene of my crimes. Sort of taunting the humans, you know? They know it's me but they can't catch me, even with a bounty on my head."

Her muscles stiffened when she smelled the human on the wind. Were they coming closer? Should they flee and regroup to launch surprise attack? No... Astra laid out her plan. "I suggest we stand our ground. Let the human come to us. Our fearlessness will give him a pause, for sure." Her eyes scanned the row of kennels beside her. "Maybe we could free some of these prisoners," she mused aloud.

Arora & Others

The wolf's eyes widened a stitch, and despite herself, her black tipped tail gave into a small wag of excitement. This is what she was truly looking for! For a brief moment, the yammer and growls of the dogs behind her faded into after thoughts as her posture relaxed further into something a bit more amiable, "It's good to meet you, Astra. We're both a bit green with these humans, and we could use some guidance." She flashed a look to her companion, excitement sprawled across her face. Amber eyes jumped back to the midnight hybrid, "My name's Arora, daughter of Starscream and Kaina. I'm afraid I haven't often left our packgrounds, and I'm not terribly familiar with others in the Valley."

The issue of the pouch still confused Arora, but hearing that Astra was no pet, and in fact willing to help with the human problem, made the wolfess more than willing to overlook this oddity. "That's interesting, I'll give you that. Reminds me a bit of the crows, actually - my dad likes to watch them." A grin tugs at the edges of her maw, and her curiosity in this hybrid grew. She tilts her head at the suggestion of freeing the pets, but before she can question this, the creak of an opening door has Arora spinning back around...

A middle-aged man steps out, a long-handled net in one hand and a look of utter surprise plastered on his face...

Megatron

Megatron listened.I am Megatron son Tayzeka and StarscreamHe said calmly. He glanced at the mongrels n the cages.You can do that if you wish they are of no concern to usHe said about releasing the dogs in the cages. However; his eyes snap t the man.

Astra

The hybrid's eyes beamed with pride at the acceptance of her aid. She would take these wolves under her proverbial wing, teaching them how to be a thorn in the humans' sides. She had so much to show them. Before she could respond, however, the threat she expected appeared: a human. "This will be fun," she thought, her eyes darting between the net and the human's vulnerable spots - neck, face, and abdomen.

"Split up and surround him. If we go from all sides, he can't catch us without being attacked," she barked to her newfound friends. She stood her ground in front of him, gears turning in her head. Could she snatch that net from him? Better yet - could she snatch it and use it to try to free the captive pets? She hoped that surrounding him would provide enough distraction for her to swipe it from his hands.

Arora

Arora's heart began to thrum with the excitement of adventure, and her first true human hunt. The sharp, cold wind that began to blow didn't phase her in the least bit, with her dense grey coat, already thick and full in preparation for winter, shielded the fae from the drop in temperature. The coming sleet that the darkening clouds promised to shed might be a different story, but for right now, her focus was on the man that stumbled into the jaws of three hunters.

One tall ear switched in Astra's direction, and she gave an eager growl of acknowledgement. Trusting their new friend, Arora circled sharply around the man's side, her growl shifting into a sharper, earnest whine as she made a few false rushes at the fellow, snapping her fangs at the air...

This sudden burst of aggression had the fellow caught off guard. He took a few hasty steps back, muttering some strange, harsh sounds that Arora couldn't understand. The wolf snarled when he brandished the net in her direction, his focus mostly on her at the moment, with only a side-glance at Astra who stood in front of him. "What is this thing?! It looks like a giant spider web!" When the end of the net came down against the front of her nose, she yelped and scrambled back, but her fur remained bristled, and her ears pressed forward.

Megatron

Megatron moved only once Astra had the man attention did he lunged aiming for the arm with the net when he brought it back.His ears flat back.

Astra

Astra watched her new students as a mentor would and biding her time for an opening to attack. "They use it to catch wild animals and enslave them," she responded to Arora's question. Her growls fading away, she circled around the man with a disciplined sense of calm awareness. When the net came down, Astra saw her chance. Watching Arora recoil and Megatron lunge, time seemed to slow in that familiar rush of adrenaline. In a quick, calculated leap, expecting the man to be distracted by Megatron, Astra strafed around the other side and leaped forward, her jaws opening wide. If her plan worked, she would clamp down on the net and remove that threat from the equation. Astra, with her African wild dog blood, was suited for this sort of attack; her ancestors' successful hunting strategy involved 'locking' their jaws upon their prey's flesh and using their powerful muscles to restrain their catch. Now more than ever she was thankful for her ancestry.

Arora & *Human*

Enslave them? Snippets of conversations with her grandmother came to mind now, of the pets and their collars, lives tethered in place by unbreakable metal chains, the loss of freedom... It caused pity to stir in her heart, for all these miserable creatures locked inside their barren cells.

Megatron's sudden movement snapped the wolfess back to the reality of the hunt. She gnashed her fangs again with a sharp, barking snarl to split the fellow's attention. Like a dark wraith, Astra was plunging forward in the next beat, sailing forward just as Megs was latching on the man's arm. The human shouted, his voice loud and fierce in Arora's ears before his tall frame was forced down into a sudden hunch by her brother's formidable weight. She heard the click of teeth at the end of the net, marking Astra's successful grip on the horrid device. And her grip was a solid one, and paired with her strength and experience, was more than enough to wrench the device from the human's grasp.

Arora glanced questioningly at Astra, before rushing forward to snap at the man's leg, seeking any guidance her new teacher might have to offer...

Megatron

All Megatron saw was the contraptions on his mother and fathers neck and that enraged him so when he felt his teeth latch onto flash he bit as hard as he could and when his feet hit the ground again he pulled and shook vciously wanting to tear and shred the human. Maybe not kill him but leave him in severe pain would be nice too. Sure he wasn't the one to put those contraptions on his parents necks but they wereall working to gether weren't they?