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Xiaobo arrived in the frigid place with a thump, his eyes scanning everyone and he had to make a choice. Do or kill... He decided to do. So with a leap he threw himself into the fray and began to yank and hard as he could on one of the chains. His eyes shut tight with determination.

---

The dream, like the last, came in blurs and words Selkie did not understand. But he knew enough to know danger, and that he did not want to be alone in the dark! He did not think, but some sort of sixth sense pulled him forward. This was where máthair had gone.

He knew it! So it was where he needed to be. And on tiny paws Selkie scrambled headfirst into the portal.

It felt like diving into open water. Cool and dark. Selkie scrunched his eyes shut and paddled with forepaws until he was standing on rock, bristling uncertainly when he opened his eyes and saw the big wolf chained. Trapped. His tail tucked between hind legs at the low echoing wail, shoulders drawing tight, eyes wide.

But...no! He wouldn't get scared! Máthair and vater needed him. He took a little breath and looked around wildly, and saw more wolves than he could count, in every color he could imagine, growling and biting and snapping at the big wolf and all of its bindings. Loud and overwhelming, and Selkie flinched, paws flexing.

And another tiny pinprick of memory distracted him. The sea, grey and angry, seen through a pane of glass. A hand around a wrist. He saw it with child's thought, but it made him shiver and raised the hair on his scruff. It was wrong. Bad. She needed the sky and the sea, but he took it away! He knew this with certainty too.

Dark gaze locked on one of the silvery chains around the wolf's leg. Selkie gave a little crackly snarl of his own, planting all four paws on the ground with tail upflung, and lunged, tiny teeth finding purchase on the place where iron connected to heavy manacle around its ankle to chew. He was tiny and all the other wolves were large and fierce, but he could help! He would free it!

Blackbeard is afraid. Ever since his awakening in this strange place it is as if the very world he stands on is falling apart. He's done his best - he really has - to ignore it. Blackbeard did not want to get involved with the weird happenings. He'd wanted to just live this new life to the fullest. But, well.

Is it really living if everything will die?

It had been his job, once. To protect people. To hold the gun and take lives to save many in the eyes of the people. Blackbeard knew it wasn't really saving anyone - the commanders had told them to kill so their own could prosper. In reality no one wins those wars.

He takes a deep breath and plunges through the portal.

When his vision stops swimming, Blackbeard has come face-to-face with a chained stranger. Along with many, many others. He ignores the words of the other wolves around him to focus on the chained.

Blackbeard had been the one to abandon his family this time. In some ways he supposes his family were the ones chained down, much alike this stranger. He takes a deep breath.

I will let you out.

And rushes forward to help break the chains.

---

Blackbeard is attempting to break the chains

Action: attack the chained wolf

---

A dream. A door. A choice.

Snarling dismissively at the Visitor, Rook turned and leapt through the third portal. She shivered as the world twisted and warped around her. Air thickened. Voices, or wind, or the creak and groan of unearthly chains rasped around her.

On the other side of the door the island screamed, the land itself howling as hateful magic strained against its prison.

Her paws touched down on cracked stone, and moon-gold eyes settled on the tormented figure wreathed in chains—the betrayed god of Mythris. His pain bled into the ground and crackled through magic as arcs of blue light snapped and seared the air. His fury screamed even louder.

Pain split her skull, rekindled a thousand long-healed wounds. Rook shrieked. In one of those brief flickers of light, she saw herself mirrored. A wretched creature, tortured and bound, compelled by bloodlust. Pulled apart and remade.

It sent a thrill through her.

Would his blood taste sweeter with all that power running through his veins?

Cackling, Rook ignored the efforts of the other wolves. She darted forward, teeth flashing. Blue light rolled off her back like water, tinting midnight fur in shades of blue. The freezing air keened.

Does it hurt? Rook taunted, eyes wide and wild. She weaved between other bodies, darting away from any who might want to catch her, and hopped lightly past heavy lengths of chain. Poor, sad little worm, too weak to save yourself. Abandoned, left all alone in the dark. Another hair-raising laugh. Rook snapped at the air. Pathetic! I'll tear the flesh from your bones! I'll bleed you dry, and offer your heart to my Lord!

Slipping between the chains, Rook lunged at the bound wolf, aiming to kill.

Action: attack the chained wolf

---

Mal was a little disappointed to find out behind all the cryptic dreams and heartfelt pleading and ethereal bullshit, the Dream Visitor was just another asshole with a sob story. No one special. Not some kind of divine messenger, or warrior.

A coward…then the remnant of one.

Now the fate of the world fell on them: Mal, his crew, their allies, all of Mythris.

The air thrummed with power and the weight of what lay ahead, but Mal turned to the Dream Visitor and spared him a hard look. You know, if you weren't a ghost I'd kick your ass myself.

…out of the frying pan and into the fire…

The portal closed behind Mal. He couldn't see it with his back turned, but he felt it—the faint pressure change as it collapsed, like a soap bubble popping, leaving him stranded in a rough walled cavern deep in the heart of the island.

No turning back now.

Ears ringing, Mal faced the monster at the epicenter.

He felt the ground tremble beneath his paws, sending small shockwaves of pain up his still-healing hind leg. Mal winced, shifted his weight to take off some of the pressure. He'd known going into this fight it was going to be a problem, but he could fight, so he would. Still, the irony of facing down a foe whose downfall had come as a consequences of similar wounds wasn't lost on him.

With the clarity the dream offered, Mal realized what a raw deal the guy had gotten. The betrayal. Captivity. The last flicker of hope being snuffed out after seeing just how badly he'd been screwed over.

A part of Mal genuinely felt sorry for him. In the reverse situation, Mal probably would've wanted to see the world burn too.

It also meant only a dumbass would try to set him free, banking on the very, very slim hope that he'd be grateful enough to not squash them (and the rest of Mythris) like bugs.

No. At a certain point, the greatest kindness was offering a quick death.

And that was the only outcome that guaranteed the survival of Mal's family.

I'm sorry, Mal said, words bitter and heavy as he dove into the fray, ready to end this once and for all. But I can't let you do this.

Action: attack the chained wolf

---

Mum and Da made them promise to stay behind. Newt had sworn, the same as she always swore to follow the rules and stay out of trouble, then ignored it once their supervision waned.

This time was different though, and Newt could feel it. Mum and Da had left them to go fight, and none of the reassurances that they'd be safer here stopped her from shaking, or slowed the aching pounding of her heart. "Here" was dark and cold and just outside there were terrifying monsters come to swallow the whole world.

Mum and Da were the smartest and fastest and sneakiest. They could win against anything—even witchcraft and bad fae.

But…

Doubts crept in like the drip drip drip of meltwater. Da was still hurt. And what if Mum's buckets and bottles weren't enough to stop the bad magic? So many of the others had already left to fight, too. What if everyone left and no one came back and she was alone forever?

That couldn't happen…right?

Childish fears weren't easily swayed. Snuggled hidden down in her blanket nest, Newt let out a tiny, scratchy whine. She wasn't supposed to be afraid of anything. She was brave and fierce, just like Mum and Da. Sneaky like Naya. Clever like Mir.

So when her siblings began to disobey, and left to follow Mum and Da through the portals, Newt knew there was only one thing left for her to do. She had to go too. To keep them safe, and help her family.

No matter how badly her legs shook.

The spectral Visitor pointed the way, looking so sad and tired Newt almost felt bad for growling at him as she approached. She didn't wait to see his reaction. Before she could talk herself out of it, Newt pushed forward and passed through the portal.

The air around her felt sticky. Sharp. Her nose twitched at the stinging smell of unfamiliar things, at the metallic scent of blood, and the stale, mustiness of a cellar. There was power here. Something old. Angry.

Newt felt it tremble in the ground beneath her as the land heaved. She felt it dance across the tips of her fur, crackling like lightning, as she locked gazes with the chained wolf.

Power. Fear. Anger.

Wide eyes searched for familiar faces as Newt crept closer, belly to the ground, ears flat. So far nothing had noticed her directly. Even the wolf trapped in glowing chains had passed over her as the whole island trembled with his pain and rage. Fighting was more chaotic than Newt expected. Louder. Nothing at all like wrestling with her siblings. And there were so many strange wolves.

In the fray, she spotted Da. Locked in battle with the captive wolf, a streak of angry red backlit by sickly, cold blue.

Newt could do this. She would do this. Being the biggest and strongest didn't matter, Da had told her. If you were smart, and fast, you could hit them where it hurt before they ever saw you coming.

Putting on her bravest face, Newt scurried close, easily slipping around bodies and ducking beneath heavy looking chains. Her heart stuttered, clenching in fear. The air hummed. All the fur along her spine bristled, and her tail rose as Newt closed in on her target.

Darting forward, Newt put every lesson she'd learned to the test, and clamped her jaws down on the weakest, most vulnerable part of the wolf she could reach.

Where Vasili went to the second door, Nephthys went to the third.

A chained prisoner, an easy target that's currently trying to destroy the world she's trying to claim.

There's no guarantee that the man would stop if he was freed, there's no guarantee the chains are even breakable.

The only guarantee was death.

She has children to protect, another litter on the way, one she'll ensure grow in a world that isn't trying to kill them.

The Pharaoh joins the mass of wolves trying to kill the chained wolf.

Oh, these little wolves.

It was a beautiful moment, really, the canines coming together one way or the other.

There was a clear divide, she could see, and all she could feel was pity for the poor beast surrounded by bodies. Chains were an unfamiliar concept to the lion, but she found her way in and tried to help remove them anyway.

You're here for a reason but you don't know why
3-1-3 OC

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Speech Emotional Actions Thoughts

Khyan did not understand this dream that came, but as it did, and the dream visitor showed them what happened, Khyan felt a guilt latch around his throat like a vice, not letting go until he moved, following Ma through that third door just to see her attacking the poor wolf with..Creole?!

Ma! Why?! He's done nothing wrong, he didn't choose this-

He was cut off, a wail ripping into the air from the chained wolf, and Khyan's eyes met his for only a moment before he decided his choice. Turning, not following his mother another step, Khyan lunged for a chain. This was for Idalie, to protect her, to prove his own strength even if he didn't trust himself with it. He was a dragon, he was Saxe. And if he'd learned anything from being alive, Saxe do not choose the easy route.

Even if this lead to a fight, one so much bigger, Khyan dug his teeth into a chain with a whine of burning pain, the chain sat burning hot between his teeth, paws pressing it down some, downward tension broke vines back at home, surely that could break this too? But it was tougher..more solid, and Khyan's teeth started to hurt really bad.