Xellos

Wolf dens are quite the interesting creations. Wolves are known for digging, but at the same time they are also renowned for their 'noble' packs. Yet wolf dens are anything but noble, some of them merely small indents inside of hills, while others were merely a small opening to a hole in the ground. For wolves it was home, and that was all they needed. A mother sat within the den, watching her pups paw at and wrestle with each other, with the exception of the youngest. She knew he was outside the den, waiting for his father, as he always did. She always kept an ear out when he waited, thankful it was a bright day that would scare away most predators. It only took a few seconds for her to hear loud footsteps, two feet. Whatever it was it was no wolf. She gave a puff, a sign for her children to be quiet, as he went outside to see her pup standing next to a creature she knew all too well. A dodo who any member of the pack knew to never approach, unless no other option was available.

One could not identify him on color alone, as patches of his body constantly changed shape and color. One day one could see half of his face being the red fur of a fox, but the next day see a quarter of his face with scales, an eighth the furless skin of a frog, and a sliver of wolf fur among, with a patch of his entire head missing. What truly made him easy to identify were those four traits. His body held together by dark strings that held not only tusks to his beak, but antlers to his head. Even from looks alone, one could tell he was a chaotic being who did not hide his nature. From his literal glow, one could in fact tell he wanted those around him to know the chaos that ruled his being. "Well hello Jagualla!~" The voice of the dodo practically rang, as if speaking to an old friend. Right next to him was her pup, something that made Jagualla's blood boil.

"Baqui, its time for you to come inside." The den mother declared with a tone that could have commanded any member of the pack to obey. However, the dodo was not a member of the pack, and by placing his wing above the head of the small pup he made sure to declare that power he had. The den mother let out a low growl, aware of the Dodo's abilities. A Shadowmancer was strong in the dark, constantly surrounded by shadows, so for many it was assumed they were crippled in the day. But the Dodo was infamous for turning this disadvantage into a threat, as the bright lights could be used to create thick and dark shadows. With the pup cloaked in such darkness, it would be easy for him to attack. What made it worse was the fact that she knew the Dodo's survival instinct did not have any role in what he did. For many, killing the one pup meant they lost their hostage, and would have the whole of the pack vigorously hunting them for vengeance. That alone was enough to keep others from doing such foolish things. But she knew the Dodo did not care. If anything, it was possible he'd kill the child just so the pack can hunt him for entertainment. Not only could he do anything he wanted now, but he WOULD do anything he wanted. Being able to do both made him more of a threat than even the most deadly of predators.

"Oh come now Jagualla, it is such a nice day out. Why keep the children cooped up when you all could be enjoying this beautiful day?" The Dodo's voice would drip with enjoyment at his own teasing. "After all, we are in  the middle of a long conversation. Might we finish it first?" Jagualla's blood chilled upon his declaration of them being mid conversation. How long had he been there? More importantly, why reveal himself to her now. Now it was obvious why he had made sure to make his footsteps so easy to hear. He wanted her out here. But why? "Now then, Baqui, as I was saying. You should not wonder so far from your den. Despite how strong the pack is, it is the fact that you are a pack that makes you strong. On your own, much bigger animals would have an easy time dealing with you. Make sure to always leave with at least two of your siblings. Alright?"

Baqui showed no fear, and even confusion at how uneased his mother seemed. Nodding slowly, he found him confused as the strange bird continued his explanation from earlier of why wolves should never be on their own. After all he was the animal that had called him deeper into the jungle in the first place, why would he have called him away from the den if it was dangerous to do so? It was then that he saw the large wing move away from him, letting him out of the cold shadow he was cloaked in. Hearing his mother growl, he quickly darted off to the interior of the den. Jagualla glared daggers at the Dodo, crouching to get ready to tear out its throat. "What was the point of this?"

The Dodo seemed amuse by her question. "Is it not obvious? I was merely informing the child of his mistake." Ruffling his feathers, the dodo twisted in the most unnatural way, as if he was trying to squeeze the juices out of his own body as his body bent and contorted into  a disgusting form. "I could have sworn that was your job as their mother, to inform them of the dangers of the outside world."

A much louder growl was squeezed out of the den mother, seemingly to the dodo's amusement. "Few. would be foolish enough to attack wolves within their own den."

"That is true." The dodo relented, almost disappointingly, as if having the common sense to not seek one's own death was disappointing. Quickly however his inflection returned, this time dripping with such venom one could mistake him for a snake. "But we weren't in the den, were we?" Jagualla's blood somehow chilled even further, feeling as if her own veins were trying to pump ice instead of blood. "I would be more careful if I were you, dearest. Lest natural selection take its course."

So the dodo trotted off, with no fear of the protective mother attacking him, or any of the pack that was almost there eating him for having dared get so close to one of their dens. Rushing inside, Jagualla pulled Baqui aside, reprimanding him for having dared even looked at the Dodo, let alone talked to it. Baqui responded only with confusion. While the dodo was strange, he had tried to help the wolf pup as well as he could. Jagualla loud out an angry snarl as he scolded her son. "You know of chaos and order. They are opposites, two sides that will never be able to co-exist. Yet That One exists with both. He is not natural, and follows no laws or reason, even his own. He is a creature of chaos that helps order, but goes out of his way to hurt it as well. He holds himself to no standards, has not motives, and cannot be predicted. We do not talk to That One. We do eat with That One. We do not fight with That One. Beings like him are just as likely to kill a lone animal as they are to bring it to safety. To interact with him in even the most minor of ways is to test him, and that one rigs the tests in his favor. As such we do make contact with him, unless absolutely necessary."