Philomena’s wanderings hadn’t stopped at the range. The girl had begun wandering father and father… until she had begun to recognize some of the landmarks. She was heading home. Her uncle hadn’t made it clear why they never went back to Dragoste, but Philly missed her family. Missed her father, mother, and brother… missed the wolves that lived there. Her heart was pounding in her chest, paws carrying her forth at a rapid rate towards the weeping woods… but before she crossed into the territory Philomena realized that something was very, very wrong.

The girl skidded to a stop, her blood running cold. She could smell many different scents… scents she didn’t recognize… invading her home. Philly swallowed hard, taking a cautious step in the direction of the border. Her ears flicked back, her bright blue gaze questioning what had happened. There was blood… different scent markers than her father’s own. What had happened to him? Surely he didn’t lose Dragoste? Philly felt her heartbeat accelerate. What of her mother? What of Ulric? Were they safe? Were they all…

Anger, worry, and even fear began mixing in the youth’s heart. She scratched at the earth uncertainty, glancing over her shoulder. Did she run…? Or did she try and find her family? Should she get Rikeros first…? She swallowed hard.

For the first time in her young life…

Philomena actually felt afraid.

He had witnessed what happened from afar, not daring to approach the mass that had gathered. Although part of him had wanted to, he didn't dare charge in and help his brother. Ganta had been slain, and had he charged into the fray then no doubt he would have met the same fate. While he had told himself he had nothing to live for but revenge, his father would have wanted something different. He had been meeting him in his dreams, conversations with his father stuck in his head. He knew what he had to do, so without wasting anymore time he had left to see what was left of his estranged brothers home. He came from the opposite side of the territory where his niece was, the male solemnly walked around the abandoned lands. The stench of those who had challenged ganta for his throne were still thick in the air, but he was unsure if they had moved on or were in the heart of the lands. After searching around the territories, he found no others from Ganta's pack and figured they had all fled... It wasn't until he caught scent of one stronger than the rest wafting toward him, and amber orbs would spot the yearling his father had mentioned meeting during some strange phenomenon that had allowed him to cross into the world of the living. Was that the girl Rikeros had so foolishly stolen from Ganta? He cursed under his breath. His brother was an idiot, now this girl was without a father...and she had never gotten the chance to know his love like she should have. He would make a mental note to tear Rikeros a new one should he ever come across him again. "It's not safe here anymore, Philomena." He spoke to her as he came to a stop a foot or so from the girl. She smelled heavily of Rikeros. That alone made his blood boil...what a hypocrite his brother was. Whining nonstop about how their father had allowed him to be kidnapped, and yet the bastard had gone and done the same to one of their own. Though his own relationship with Ganta had been anything but close, his niece was innocent and was now alone...He didn't know where her mother was, and hoped she hadn't been captured. "Listen to me talk," 'and know my thoughts.'

I'M KNOWN TO PUNCH 'EM IN THE DICK AT THE END OF A FIGHT The beast had not left the stolen lands yet. There was still the off chance others might return, thinking they were safe again. Not the truth. Amon may be willing to grant amnesty, but the sandy titan was no such creature. Cowards who ran were going to be caught eventually. The beast wanted to see them fight. They would bring pain if they needed to, in hopes of weeding out the weak stock of this pathetic realm. As shrewd and flighty as they could be, the beast would stand and fight for their name and their beliefs. If these ones wouldn't- they didn't deserve the life they'd been so graciously given. They would tear it from their bodies by force. There was someone here. No. Someones. Oh goody, maybe it was time for a fight. An honest match against a worthy opponent. Lumbering through the trees, the godling laid eyes upon... a child. Of the mortal king. She bore his mane, but had already surpassed him in size. Perhaps she would be of worth to the empire. Another approached her, murmuring oh so tenderly to her. "It's not safe here, Philomena." He told her. The distance between the male and the child was an opportunity. One the deity would gladly seize. Crown low betwixt sandy shoulders, the beast found a grin spreading across their features. "That it isn't, Philomena." They crooned, a mockery of the man's earlier tenderness. "I think Amon would like to decide what happens to the absent children of the foolish king, after they so rudely left the party without saying hello." The beast felt a twitch in their muscles, excitement coursing through them. Tipping their crown back, they called for anyone in the clan who might be nearby. They were sure that others might be interested in what was happening here. speech AND I NEVER SAY I'M SORRY AT THE END OF THE NIGHT

Wherever Enigma was, she was never far behind. The pale beast had gone off in another direction, allowing her sibling to do his own searching while she did hers. She hadn't been around her younger siblings long enough to get to know them, but she trusted her brother enough to believe him when he mentioned speaking with their late father. After her own scouting of the other territory, she caught wind of some scents she didn't recognize. Fur bristling slightly, she set off to find Enigma and she did quite rapidly. She spotted him standing there with their niece just before someone else approached, eyeing the creature, Para approached from behind the dust colored mutt, a sneer on her face and cold blue eyes flashing. "Staying for the after party hm? What's the matter? Are you afraid all by yourself that you gotta call for help?" She tsked, head shaking. "Come on big boy, do you really need to call your bodyguards or something?" She didn't make her allegiance to anyone known. For all this guy knew, she was just a passerby. She never really stuck too close to her brother for his scent to be on her, but instead she had the scents of many she got in fights with (or slept with), but the scent she held now was that of her recent kill that she had eaten earlier. She briefly wished she had finished it, but then again...She didn't really want to pack on the pounds. Ah, the complicated life of a woman... "Speak"

 

TABLE BY VETHYSNIA
The woman didn't have to be all that smart to know she wouldn't be the only one hanging back here, investigating the lands they'd conquered in the aftermath of the takeover. Some might return. That's what the others would be thinking. Razi, though sly and adept at thinking ahead, did not linger with the same intentions as her kin would. Rather, she lingered to keep tabs on what it was her kin were doing. Whether she'd assist in what they might do was entirely up to her mood at the time things got interesting.

When she caught Kaine's scent the woman trailed after it, seeing as he was the only other she'd found it seemed reasonable enough. The ebony and orange woman wasn't disapointed, finding exactly what she'd figured she would. The older sibling had found more dragoste wolves. Or, at least one. The child looked like the man that Amon had slain, but her companion bore no scent or obvious connection to the fallen pack.

Razi arrived on the scene just in time to see the pale woman approach and listen to her taunting words. Sliding up beside Kaine, the woman drank the scene in further before murmuring, "So hasty with our words, Kaine..." It didn't require much one on one time to know the nature of this sibling of hers. It was not unlike that of the others. That was no way to get ahold of mortals, which they would very much be needing to populate this pack as well as those conquered next. "When you or the others bite off more than you can chew someday I'll have a hard time deciding whether to help then or simply wait and patch you up." It's been a while since she'd openly chided someone. But then again, she'd not been around enough to set up a den and have someone show up to heal and scold.

Sighing softly, the dark woman looked at the child and the two pale adults. "Of course... You aren't wrong entirely.

WORDS
 

Philomena jumped when she heard a voice, gaze shifting over to the brute. He looked somewhat familiar… his golden eyes reminded her of Riker’s own… and the scars too reminded him of her uncle. His scent reminded her of Riker too, now that she thought about it, and instinctively the girl went to take a step towards him when the presence of another wolf stopped her.

The man was bigger than she was, and Philly instinctively recoiled, drawing away from both males with a soft whine. “What are you talking about?” Her gaze was fixed on the stranger, her ears pinned back against her skull. “Whose Amon? Where’s… where are my parents?” Philomena swallowed hard, her blue gaze narrowing slightly. She was trying to be brave… but she knew something wasn’t right. This stranger… what did he mean by a party?

Philomena was about to speak again when not one, but two more women showed up. The first was a pale coated dame with darker blue eyes than her own. Philly glanced at her first, then the slightly taller and darker femme who arrived. She could feel her anxiety mixing with anger, and the little one let out a growl. “Where’s the rest of the pack? What have you done with them!?” The fear was still evident in the youth. Heck she wasn’t even a year old yet… But she had to know… she had to know what had happened to Dragoste.

"I thought she went back to you and Ganta. Her scent went that way this morning." The second the almost yearling heard that he knew he had to go back for her. He ran as fast as his long, gangly legs and oversized paws would carry him. By the time he made it back to what used to be Dragoste’s lands he was winded, but he didn’t give himself time to catch his breath. He immediately found Philly’s scent which worried him and relieved him all at once. He darted into the lands, trying to keep an eye out as he ran for anyone that might try to stop him. He spotted the group easy enough, but he had a hard time distinguishing who was friend or foe. He didn’t see any of thier old pack mates here, just strangers. And Philomena. He rushed to her side, hearing the tail end of her questioning. Ulric was panting hard as he pressed his side to hers, his silver gaze darting between the older wolves around them. ”We need to get out of here,” he told her, his voice breathy at best. ”The pack isn’t ours any more.” He didn’t want to tell her about their father yet. Not like this. Not till he was sure they were safe. He realized that two of the wokvea had a similar scent to the man he had just met and made the connection that these were some of their relatives. Whether that was a good thing or not he didn’t know. For now they were the only ones here he thought he might be able to trust so he looked to them for help.

With laurels won, the time to rest and prepare for solidifying their conquest had come. The former pack's members who'd fled must be contained and offers must be made, but even the Abraxas were after all was said and done in mortal forms and superior as they were they too needed rest, and he'd finally taken the time for his. Apollo had not bothered to make a den within these conquered lands but rather had simply found a dry and quiet place beneath a willow to sleep. These lands did not suit his tastes at all, with the constant wet and the brackish waters of the other territory. He supposed these willows could probably have been considered pretty, but the place was not at all defensible nor suitable for dens. It was little wonder they'd been so easy to invade. Surely a good solid rain would flood those streams right into any den too close by.

The quiet didn't remain so for long either, with voices intruding upon his restful state. Gold eyes slitted open and pale ears pricked forward, though he did not yet move from his prone position. Voices were picked out and identified, Abraxas and stranger, and he finally uncoiled to rise to his paws. He did not like the content of the chattering he was catching, and moved the short distance to reveal himself to those gathered. "My brother speaks truly," he rumbled. "Amon will want to speak with these prodigal children. They belong to the pack he has claimed and are therefore his to decide what to do with." He sent a bland warning glance toward the paler form of the brother in question though, not entirely trusting Kaine to behave himself. While it was certain that they need contain the fleeing members until Amon decided what to do with each of them, they certainly did not need to overplay their hand with wanton cruelty unless it was called for, and an unfortunate number of their family did seem to slide into that quite gleefully. Not to say that he did not approve of strong measures when they were required, but until they solidified their hold upon this world they could not afford a lot of loose cannons rolling about doing as they pleased and risking everything.

The two older strangers, neither of whom bore even the faded remnants of Dragoste scent nor the obvious genetic stamp of the former alpha as the yearlings did, were fixed with a far cooler stare. A pair of loners running amok telling who knew what tales could be a dangerous thing if they were allowed to remain near these borders poking about and speaking to the Dragoste members who had not yet been dealt with. "Unless you intend to find yourselves serving the Abraxas, I suggest you leave our borders. Immediately." Ivory teeth flashed briefly beneath the gray streak of color that smudged the top of his muzzle, the warning clear though he did not show further aggression than that. Simply watchfulness. "We will not tolerate interference in pack matters from loners."