Hellebore Taijo

Life has been but a cave. Rock and pelts. The warm embrace of their mother. The life was simple and clean. The life was boring.

Hemlocke had grown. His form was still that of a pup, but one that has not failed. No, he was thriving. He and his twin brother both grew in perfect sync. They fed off each other's energy. They needed each other to become the creatures they were destined to be. Their boredom was felt between them. Hemlocke knew this night was different.

They were not normally allowed out at night and without their mother. This night though, there was something different to it than the others. It was enough for Hemlocke to notice, and thus he knew that Hellebore noticed too. He must. How couldn’t he? And Taijo? Well, he knew not if Taijo noticed. Taijo was not the same, and he already knew that deep down inside from the moment their consciousness bloomed.

Golden eyes looked to Hellebore. A devious little grin touched his little maw. ”Out,” he said simply, suddenly bolting out of the mouth of the den. Okay, bolting might be a bit of an exaggeration. Each step still had a touch of a wobble. The body defied the mind, which was something that would need to be fixed. He was faster than he was before, and he stood at the mouth of the den. Azalea was watching, but did not stop them. She would only intervene if they went too far out.

Hemlocke looked up at the sky. It was a primal feeling. Something deep inside rumbled as his vision absorbed that of a moon crimson red. ”Blood,” he whispered, knowing the word from their mother when she ate. She did not drink milk like they did from her. No, she would drink the blood, and the moon in the sky? It bled for them this night.

Quiet. Secure. Safe.
Things to be desired, yet they left a strange sense of wanting.

Until now, the pups had obeyed their mother without question. But tonight was different. He could feel it stirring inside him, and he knew his twin felt it too. Their golden eyes met, a mischievous glint sparking between them.

Hellebore cast a sideways glance at their mother as she busied herself nearby, watchful, but willing to let them explore.

When Hemlocke whispered the word, Hellebore answered with firmer insistence. Out.

Locke was the first to go, bold and eager. Bo lingered for just a heartbeat longer, stealing one last look toward their mother before following with measured grace, or at least what he believed was grace. In truth, his legs still betrayed him, stumbling here and there as he learned the rhythm of his own body.

He came to stand beside his twin, eyes lifting to the crimson moon. The darkness that wrapped around them was alive, whispering encouragement, feeding the restless energy that pulsed between the boys.

Locke spoke, and Bo grinned. He wasn’t wrong. The image of their mother’s bloodstained maw flickered through his mind, stirring something wild and curious within him.

An idea began to take shape. He leaned close to his brother, voice low and gleaming with delight. More. Dark.

His eyes glittered as he flicked his gaze down the passage leading out of their den.
Would they tempt fate?
Would they press further into the darkness that begged to consume them?

The shadows called him a name that could not be spoken. Bony, sickly boy with eyes sunken into their sockets. Didn’t eat.
Didn’t eat

Didn’t eat.

Didn’t eat.

He ripped the fur out his sides so he could see his own ribs.
Maybe mother would stop sulking then.

White eyes emerged from the dark. They were staring.
Taijo was staring.

Taijo did not come. Taijo only stared. Hemlocke may be too young to completely understand, but he knew something felt…off with their little brother. Something was wrong with him, but what? He did not look right. He did not act right. He was not like Hemlocke and Hellebore. The stare brought an odd feeling. Creeping feeling.

Hellebore brought him great comfort as he came to his side. They were in step together. Bo’s eyes were of his own. They looked upon the bloodmoon and they knew it was THEIR moon. Naturally, Locke leaned in when his brother did, white ear flickering towards him. ”More. Dark.” he repeats.
For a second, he looks back, and sees the eyes of Taijo staring. Locke did not forbid the brother from coming with them. Initially, the stare brings discomfort, but there is part of him that grows used to it. Perhaps, this is how all families are.

He turns then, a mischievous grin on his face. Little paws moved forward more. Step by step. The mouth of den grew wider, and he felt confident with Hellebore by his side. Mother was watching, her own green eyes reflecting gentle red light in the den. There was draw to her naturally, but the moon was their moon. Wouldn’t mother want to see it anyway?

The world was getting larger before them. Locke ensures his brother is with him as he steps into the dark world, touched with a red hue from the moon. He feels the cool wind on his fur. The world seems so much…louder. The trees rustle. Creatures rustle. His body rustles as he looks around in awe. ”Our dark,” he says simply, flashing his smile again to his brother. Possession. This area was theirs.

Odd.
That was the word that came to mind as Bo observed Taijo. There was something strange about him, a strangeness that neither he nor Locke would ever be able to touch. Yet he was welcome all the same. Blood moon. Blood brother. Bound together.

Locke and Bo moved as one. Every motion mirrored, every glance met. Their small golden eyes gleamed with wonder at the ever-growing world around them. White fur rippled in the wind, the red deepening under the blood moon’s glow. Returning his brother’s smile, Bo echoed softly, Ours.

Once more, his curious gaze sought their mother. Her poison-green eyes warned them not to misbehave. But when he caught Locke’s glance, a shared spark of mischief passed between them. With a sudden burst of energy, Bo darted toward the ledge and vanished over it.

The drop was short, the wall beneath turning into a rocky slide, sending dust and debris flying in every direction. It was exhilarating! The grin that split his muzzle was bright and wicked, full of triumph. When he finally came to a stop where the slope leveled out, he scrambled to his shaky feet and looked back up at the ledge.

Come, he called, temptation thick in his voice. He wouldn’t go without his twin, and freedom was just within reach.

He is a triplet.

One who followed the gentle coo of his brother’s voices. They were close. He wanted to see the looks they shared with one another be shared upon himself. Wanted to mimic every given movement they made. Blood flesh and bone connected the twins limbs and mind. It was only a matter of time before he too bonded with their muscles, their ways. All of it, he would learn.

“Our dark.”

A last look to mother’s safe belly, and then the skeleton broke into the dark and disappeared just as fast into the oblivion. Nose to Hemlocke’s ankles, a sweeping tail that felt along the debris and rubble upon wet stone.

Bo is there one minute, gone the next. A raking noise of falling rocks crashing down. Only when the noise stopped did Tai seek the fallen brother’s eyes. So far away to a little child, and suddenly a mountain of distance separated them. When the desire came to follow, his feet did not move. What if then he broke into a million pieces?

His connection with his twin brother was unbreaking. It was something so strong, a thing he already felt so naturally at such a young age. Taijo though, was not same. He was still brother. He was still blood, but the connection was not the same. It was different. Locke couldn’t understand it. But, he still respected, for now, the different type of connection to Taijo. Would this respect remain?

Locke looked from Bo to Taijo, giving a nod of agreement. They all knew this was theirs. No one else’s. Just theirs.

Locke felt the following Taijo behind him, accidentally hitting Taijo’s nose with his foot if he got too close. Feet were still stubborn things that he could not control completely yet.

Bo dashes forward and Locke dashes along with him. Reckless. He cared not what happened, and slid down the edge feeling the same exhilaration. It was a shared experience. His butt hits the earth, and he gives the same devilish smile to Bo. Tail wagged behind him as he shook out the dirt from his fur..

Taijo didn’t come. Bo called to him as Locke turned to look up towards their brother. Locke turned his molten eyes up to Taijo. He knew something was wrong with Taijo. That his body was not the same as theirs. Taijo was weaker. Taijo didn’t eat like they did. But Taijo is brother.

”Taijo, come?” he called out, standing shoulder to shoulder to Bo. Would Taijo come, or would they run into the dark as two?

The pure delight of chaotic synchronization with Locke set Bo’s soul ablaze. There was life in their bond, knowledge, comfort, possession. As his gaze lifted to the remaining brother, a tinge of disappointment flickered within him. Taijo was different, but wasn’t he also the same? Bo still struggled to understand where the third fit within their brotherly bond.

Taijo, he called softly, his voice both encouraging and sly. Come.

There was mischief to be made, darkness to explore. Bo’s little tail wagged eagerly, sending a ripple of motion through his developing frame. He would wait for his brother’s answer. If Taijo joined, he would be welcomed into their trio of chaos, three blood demons bound by the night. If not, Bo would let out a disappointed whine before turning to Locke, his eyes asking the silent question: should they continue without him?

Did not want to go. Did not want to tear bones away and feel them splinter into the lungs. No, no, not at all! No, no. Could not go! A groan like a shifting oak filtered out his throat, pacing back and forth at the edge and turning twice away with the appearance of no return.

It was only the third look down the way was a step taken, unwilling to be left behind. Scratching, fumbling each elongated limb down the slide over paws too fat and rigid to be used elegantly yet. Standing when it leveled, airy laughter with no vocal noise peered back at the drop, shaking off the fear of making a first dive.

Something told him that it would not be the first one.

As commanded—

“I come.”
And now he was aware that he could do it.

There was anticipation from the twins as they watched their different brother at the top. Locke and Bo both brought the encouragement, and both wished for Taijo to come…but they were not to wait forever. Mother could come at any moment, and they tasted their freedom upon their tongues.

Molten eyes watched, shoulder to shoulder with his twin. Locke takes a step forward, and encouraged Taijo with another nod. Taijo paced, and the brothers waited. Taijo, eventually, clumsily followed. It was apparent that Taijo did not enjoy the experience like Locke and Bo. Taijo was different, but accepted. Locke loped forward then, nosing Taijo’s shoulder with encouragement.

”We go!” he exclaimed then, a devilish grin flashed to Taijo and then to Bo, and Locke turned around then and began scampering off. The moon was high. The moon was red. The night was theirs, and Locke looked to Bo to lead the way.