Glorious work from the exceptional Poliarnaya, who is still running this YCH on their page! I'd definitely recommend you check them out.
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Lightning struck the ground less than half a kilometer from him. Feeling its unimaginable power reverberating through the ground beneath his paws, Valkiro relied only on his sense of sight and touch to guide him now, for he had been rendered temporarily deaf. Still, there was no fear in his withered eyes as he dashed toward the origin of these earth-shaking waves; the artillery shells which had detonated so very near his person in the old wars had left him numb to shocks such as these. Embers blowing past him in a breeze that carried with it the sharp smell of smoke, Val's gaze was suddenly filled with the light of a rapidly-growing fire towering high above him. Though the blaze, a nest of wolf pups could barely be seen, their eyes transfixed upon him.
The voice which spoke in Valkiro's mind caused him abrupt pause as his heart missed several beats. The eyes pleading him forward into the flames now were no different than the ones he had ignored and pushed from his mind so many years ago, ones he knew belonged to those who had burned in the fire he had turned his back on. A familiar and potent feeling of remorse caused the wolf to stumble, but did not keep him down - in no time, he had steadied himself before lunging forward, pain greeting every inch of his body.
Exile was not meant to be kind, and for those he had let down, he would repay his bottomless debt to them through the sacrifice of however much was left of his own life for the sake of others. Saving lives was more than choice to Valkiro now, and by its necessity, not even fire could stop him.
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Lightning struck the ground less than half a kilometer from him. Feeling its unimaginable power reverberating through the ground beneath his paws, Valkiro relied only on his sense of sight and touch to guide him now, for he had been rendered temporarily deaf. Still, there was no fear in his withered eyes as he dashed toward the origin of these earth-shaking waves; the artillery shells which had detonated so very near his person in the old wars had left him numb to shocks such as these. Embers blowing past him in a breeze that carried with it the sharp smell of smoke, Val's gaze was suddenly filled with the light of a rapidly-growing fire towering high above him. Though the blaze, a nest of wolf pups could barely be seen, their eyes transfixed upon him.
The voice which spoke in Valkiro's mind caused him abrupt pause as his heart missed several beats. The eyes pleading him forward into the flames now were no different than the ones he had ignored and pushed from his mind so many years ago, ones he knew belonged to those who had burned in the fire he had turned his back on. A familiar and potent feeling of remorse caused the wolf to stumble, but did not keep him down - in no time, he had steadied himself before lunging forward, pain greeting every inch of his body.
Exile was not meant to be kind, and for those he had let down, he would repay his bottomless debt to them through the sacrifice of however much was left of his own life for the sake of others. Saving lives was more than choice to Valkiro now, and by its necessity, not even fire could stop him.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Animal related (non-anthro)
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Male
Size 940 x 940px
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