Korinna was bored. Painfully, dreadfully, bored. The life of a rogue wasn't something she was accustomed to, having left her family pack not long after her first birthday. Since then she'd been wandering, searching for a place to call home despite not quite knowing what home might look like to her. After spending some time in the north - though deciding she definitely appreciated the more harsh and unpredictable terrain - she knew for sure that the far reaches of Boreas were not meant for her.

One thing in particular caught her eye on her journey toward the central region of the continent - a rather large volcano, tucked behind a far-reaching mountain range. Korinna was slow to travel toward the coastline, veering around the eastern side of the mountain and toward the volcano. It took her days to make the journey, stopping occasionally to drink and rest. She was in no real hurry to get anywhere - she'd rather take her time and get to know these lands more closely.

The scent of a pack was noticeable as she drew closer to the looming landform, and the young-she wolf found that her curiosity was piqued. What sort of group would lay claim to a place like this? The scent of fire was deeply intertwined with everything else here, and Korinna wanted to know more. She lifted her nose to the sky - letting out a brief call to whoever wanted to answer. Now this was the sort of place she'd enjoy living; it was something out of the ordinary and she could only guess whoever lived here might be less than ordinary, too. She waited as patient as she could, scarred face lifting and jerking as she took in the scents of this place, perched just barely beyond Ruina's borders.

Spring left the rocky terrain of the Maw rather treacherous as opposed to winter. Winter had ice, but it was mostly covered in snowfall during the unusually cold season and now most of that had melted and saturated the moss and grass that laid claim to the rocks in Ruina territory. Tonight was a cool, cloudless night.. when the wind picked up just right and rushed across the short fur of the gray alpha it sent a chill across his entire being. He loved nights like this.

His chest heaved as he stood over the corpse of a young goat that had been unlucky enough to slip on such wet terrain, giving Elias entirely too much of an opportunity to close the distance between them. Elias ripped into the fur, not caring for keeping the hide this time and savored the tender flesh underneath. The young goat barely filled the behemoth, in no time he was picking at bones and trying his best to get every last edible morsel. Grass became plucked from the earth in his attempts.. and unbeknownst to Elias, new fungal growth that the goat just so happened to be covering.

The taste immediately alerted Elias that something was different, however, it was mixed with the taste of the goat's blood. Elias was a man with an entirely too high metabolism, giving him an unnecessarily high drive to feed. The taste was odd, but he ate it anyway and continued to pick at the bones of the goat until the howl of the stranger rang through and disturbed the otherwise quiet night.

His head lifted, and already things started to feel eerie. The howl seemed to echo, almost appearing to come from different directions. It took him a minute to pivot his ears and pinpoint the cone of area that the howl could have possibly come from. When he took off toward the sound, he noted how limber his limbs felt. As he began to ran, he noted the tingling feeling beginning in his toes and lips. It took him some time to make his way down to the volcano, and by the time he arrived.. the stars above were trailing, creating little lines in the sky that seemed to guide him to this wolf.

His ruby eyes could be caught on the sky as he came into view of the stranger, wide and awe inspired. They drifted down to the woman before him and her dark presence and scarred appearance almost struck him with a bit of panic. She looked entirely too much like his own bother, another black phase wolf bearing scars in almost the exact same places. He could tell immediately that it wasn't her, the scars were not quite right... however, the initial shock factor never left him.

The titan rose his head, barreled chest proudly held in a manner that honored his own scars. He narrowed his gaze, though it was more in an attempt to get his world to stop moving away from him than to intimidate her. He nearly laughed when a breeze that blew her fur made his intoxicated mind see it overdramatized. Her fur was so flowing, it somehow.. amused him. Why was he wanting to laugh?

"Hello," he said simply, though the amusement in his unusually light baritones was quite present.

Korinna couldn't help but admire the vastness of the landscape here. To the northeast stood a treacherous mountain pass, a landscape that had likely claimed the lives of many wolves before her, and directly to the east another quite dangerous obstacle - an active volcano that likely had its own share of dangers. Her interest had been thoroughly picqued, and how could it not? Anxious paws shifted, her weight swaying from one side to the other as she waited as patiently as she could - given that patience had never been one of her defining traits, it was a remarkably hard feat for her. What was a mere pawful of minutes felt more like hours as she stood, ears swiveling to catch any signs of someone approaching.

Even through the permeating darkness she caught the approach of someone, a dark figure traveling down the slope of the volcano. His silhouette was visible against the backdrop of the faint moonlight. From such a far distance she could tell the wolf was a massive one, perhaps bigger than her - and her own frame was unusually large compared to most, especially for a female. A fluttering of excitement suddenly ravaged her at the quite spontaneous decision she'd made. Perhaps this was not the place for her? But it had to be - only wolves who shared similar ideals would make such a territory their home, and she'd always been adaptable enough. She couldn't imagine a pack that made their home near the sea or in a field of flowers would ever be a more suitable home for her. The mere thought almost made her laugh.

The slight grin was visible on her features as Elias approached, though softened as she struggled to take in his features in the dim moonlight. He was a grizzled male, clearly older than her as well as taller, though not by much. The pride was visible in the way he held himself, and she had to admire that; her own posture was far from meek, though without any outward signs of threat toward this stranger or is lands. "Greetings," Korinna replied easily, slightly bewildered at the lightness in this quite masculine man's words. It took her a moment to regain her composure. "This place - this pack - I presume it is yours? Would you have time to tell me a bit about it? I'd like to join." Her words had a definiteness to them that surprised even her. She was truthfully tired of living as a rogue and she was feeling up to a challenge. And if this man was in charge? She wouldn't lie that he was quite the looker, at least according to her standards, so she'd most definitely be willing to serve beneath him. Or simply get beneath him, that sounded damn good too. She had to keep her mind from straying though, lest her more mischievous thoughts make that playful smile of hers return again.

His heart was still beating strong from his run to her, though that only sped up the rate at which the effects of the mushroom he'd accidentally ingested would hit him. As she spoke, he heard her voice echo in his ears and a light feeling take over him and draw him to her. He was loyal to his mate, even in this state of mind... though he was an ever hungry man that was certainly no stranger to such sinful behavior.

He tried to hold on to the golden heart he so desperately aimed to be able to claim he had despite his past deeds, reminding himself of his oath and his promises regardless of the way her eyes seemed to be devouring his being. The work of the mushroom made it impossible for his appreciative grin to be hidden, inky lips pulling back to display a thick row of teeth in utterly perfect formation.

Normally, he would be stern and formal- he wouldn't pay her glances any mind and he would ignore feeding into such behavior. As it was, he seemed amused by the current circumstance and caught off-guard without any real certainty on how to behave. He laughed, his athletic body seeming quite loose as it curved when he stepped back from her and almost bashfully lowered his head. His eyes found the scar on his forelimb that marked where he had taken his oath to Zuriel and he managed to regain focus. Somewhat, at least.

"Mine?" When he perked back up to his normal, prideful self he looked almost like a different person- his charming grin slowly fading through an obvious and amused smile remained.

"No, none of it is mine. I am a visitor here, as are you.. as are we all." Oh man, this was about to get deep.

"I hold this land for the demons of Ruina. I claim it for them, in honor of the Apollyon! They own this land, and through the work of my blood they will continue to do so even when I am dead." He declared, his eyes wide with fascination as he watched her aura glow from around her, light from the moon hitting reflective strands on her back in a way that his mind was distorting.

He laughed again as indistinguishable whispers ran through his ears, though only he would hear them. He stepped closer to her, his head lowering to level with her own... though that didn't seem as hard as it was with most. Damn, she really did look like she belonged here already.

"You.. wish to join Ruina? You so willingly give yourself over to demons?" A grim chuckle bubbled up his salivated throat as he looked her over.

"I never understood how they convince you guys to do it- to work for them- to follow me of all alphas." He laughed again, quietly though it was still present.

"But you DO!" His tone changed very suddenly, loud and in exclamation as his exaggerated body language only brought him closer to her- perhaps too close.

"You just come here, join up.. accept these demons as your own and fetch souls for us. I never had a choice; I was born with cursed blood, but you, you have a choice... though, I guess.. maybe I do understand. I guess, it does have its benefits. Their strength is our strength, and damn are they strong. It pays to be with ancient strength like this, so long as you keep them well-fed... otherwise, you know, the hunger drives them mad and then that drives us mad.. and then death... torment... chaos. All that, but when they are fed... we get to use the strength how we want to, so it pays off." Syllables were hissed as he slurred his speech a little, his pupils quite noticeably dilated now as he looked a little too strongly into her own eyes. For whatever reason, the urge to bite took him over and an audible snap of his jaws was given at the end of his words. He laughed at his own gesture, his weight falling on his ass clumsily and resulting in a loud thud.

When his laughter subsided it seemed he was coming to a realization that something was off, the way he was feeling was not normal. He wasn't a stranger to being unable to control himself when at the mercy of his fragile mind and the fucked up chemistry within- though these outside chemicals were giving him a totally new and unfamiliar feeling. He had no idea what was going on with him, but he was starting to look at her in suspicion. Was it her? Was she a demon causing him to behave without a mask- without a filter.. and.. why did the thought only make him laugh more? Mad laughter filled the air as he continued to look at her and he gave up all inhibitions on figuring out this little puzzle. Perhaps she was a demon, how interesting would that be? He was truly at her mercy, hardly able to keep his own self upright on this little trip his mind was going through.

”Unless, of course.. you’re already one of them. Who are you? ...what are you?” His curiosity leaked through in his words, his voice rumbling quieter than before as he awaited her answer with wide eyes and perked ears, ready to fully accept whatever this demoness so happened to declare.

It was obvious from his scent, as well as the subtle way his breathing was quickened, that he'd been running. Of course, Korinna was oblivious as to why - she knew nothing of ingesting strange substances, and she'd take his personality on face value. She was amused by how whimsical such a scarred brute seemed. At first glance she'd guess he was a warrior of sorts, perhaps leaning toward a darker alignment, but now she found her initial judgment about him being pulled into question - and she decided that she was a big fan of this man, without him even having to try to interest her. That was a feat in and of itself. He had a depth to him that became increasingly clear as he began to speak, relaxing quickly in her presence and starting on what seemed like a sort of rant.

It sounded like nonsense, at least to her, this talk of demons something called the Apollyon. The female listened as closely as she could, despite having trouble fully comprehending his words, the faint inkling of an amused smile pulling at her lips. It only softened as he leaned toward her, asking a question that seemed far more important to him than it ever could to her. Did she wish to give herself over to demons? Oh fuck yes! If that meant living here and serving under this strange, wildly attractive male, she'd serve those demons willingly.. whatever that meant. She nodded in lazy agreement, chuckling softly. "That doesn't sound so bad to me," Kori admitted with a shrug.

Still, the depth of what he was saying was lost to her. His apparent madness was not lost on her - the manic way he spoke was not typical of most wolves, his worries hurried and confusing, and his pupils strangely dilated - but his unusual demeanor struck her as a challenge rather than something to fear. She had survived thus far, and had no doubt she could thrive here just the same or find a way to escape if this place proved... less than favorable. Her close proximity to her didn't make her flinch away, though her teal gaze remained fixed curiosity on him as he continued on. "I can't say I fully understand what you're on about, about demons and cursed souls and all that," And... ancient strength and torment and whatever else he was trying to talk to her about, though she had a feeling he was speaking more to himself than to her. Either way, his antics were more amusing than terrifying to her, and she was hooked.

Who was she? What was she? Okay, maybe this stranger was having some kind of mental breakdown instead of just being weird and quirky. "Name's Korinna, but you can call me Kori. I'm... just a wolf looking for a place to call home, I guess." Words had never been her forte, and she shrugged a bit dismissively. "Figured a group that were insane enough to call a place like this their home might be a good group for me. What about you?" The female raised her brows, grinning playfully at Elias. "What are you, handsome? I cant say I've ever met anyone quite like you."

'That doesn't sound bad to me,' she said with a shrug. His red eyes dropped to her shoulders, seeing her movements in blurred happenings that quite fascinated him. Something about the way she spoke felt like it was reaching to every fiber of his being, and for a moment he is enjoyed the chemical swirls happening inside of his brain and how weightless they made him feel. He caught his weight a few times and did his best to remain upright.

'I can't say I fully understand what you are on about,' she said, bringing a wicked grin across the males lips with the words. Of course, she didn't. Though, most of the wolves here on these hallowed mountains didn't really understand either. They didn't know what it meant to be in this bloodline, to be so closely haunted by demons. In his life, Elias had watched himself rape four women, murder an entire family, and also slay his own mother (by her request) and step-father. These visions are what haunted him as she continued, and the feeling of warm blood coating his forelimbs, chest, and face became a ghostly presence clinging to his form by his own drug-induced fathoming. Dopamine levels were too high for him to be afraid, resulting in another spell of manic laughter. Oh, blood, how funny, right?! How did that get there?! Haha.. ha.

'Figured a group that were insane enough to call a place like this their home might be a good group for me,' his eyes narrowed slightly, his laughter subsiding with the use of that word as his grin slowly started to fade. His breathing became stressed as his heart raced, the wind of each exhale pushing against the saliva attempting to collect on those inky black lips while she called him handsome even though he were.. a drooling and clumsy mess of a wolf in his current state. What pride he had stemmed from the sense of family and strength within his bloodline, he had never been vain or even aware of his own attractiveness. He was tall, he knew that.. but did that mixed with his scars and his muscle tone make him more appealing to women? He was oblivious, but the way she complimented him hit him with another wave of dopamine-surging ecstasy that was almost strong enough to make him forget what she had asked.

"What am I?" He repeated, his voice at a low and rumbling growl that could nearly be mistaken for the grumble of the molten lava that flowed beneath their paws. 'Pychopath, murderer, rapist, husband, father, or king?' He asked himself the same question and got entirely too deep for his own liking. He wanted back out of his past, back out of his mind, and back on that happy high that he had for whatever reason. He narrowed his eyes and would attempt to sit up taller even though his limbs were beginning to feel like noodles beneath him. He was slipping, losing himself to the demon that usually took over and drove his body when things became too unstable. With his mask of tranquility returning to him and the echoing whisper of her word, 'insane, insane, insane,' ringing in his ears, he thought out his reply.

"A demon that has come to take you home." No more laughter ripped through the air, no more smiles plastered themselves on his face, but those brilliant red eyes were glimmering as they fixated on her with studious fascination and unspoken wit. He got a little closer to her, his nose finding the fur of the scarred part of her face as he tested to see how much she would let him get away with. He wanted to test her, take every inch that she would provide and then discipline her for doing exactly that. None of his sisters would let a man get this close to them, yet she stood strong next to him. His world began to spin and he let go of the thought, a small smirk playing on his lips as he withdrew from her and would stand to his full height, attempting to begin taking her back up the Maw if she followed his lead.

The way he looked at her was strange, and she wasn't quite sure how to take it - or to really take his overall odd demeanor - but the way that he watched her, like he had no sense of anything else in the world right now, was strangely arousing. Though he swayed slightly on his paws, his gaze was unblinking and she reveled in the intensity of it. His expression shifted more often than she could predict, that thoughtful stare brightening as laughter took hold. Of course, she was no fool.. something in his demeanor seemed manic and unstable, but she was drawn toward it rather than away from it. The chaos was intriguing, not frighting, as she'd learned long ago that fighting the waves only made the struggle against them worse - becoming one and going along the ride was far more appealing.

'What am I?' He asked, and her expression twisted into a pleased smirk as a low growl bubbled beneath her words. Being afraid of him now felt like a distant possibility - only in a different universe entirely could she feel afraid of him rather than... whatever this feeling was now. Like every one of her senses was finely tuned to the beast standing before her. Like anything he did would send every neutron in her brain into an excited, stimulated mess. Instead of answering quickly, he seemed to think on her question, shifting to stand taller. The power he exuded, despite his slightly uncoordinated movements, was intoxicating, and her own pale gaze fixed on him as he spoke.

'A demon that has come to take you home.' The answer was better than she'd expected, that slightly wicked grin returning as he leaned toward her. She'd make no motion to move away from him, acutely aware of his warm breath on her soon as his nose grazed the scarred portions of her face. Perhaps if she was more bold she might reach out and touch him, but she held back, standing strong against his advances. Either way, she was too curious about this man - and far too interested to do anything but follow as he turned and headed up the Maw. She has no clue where she was headed, she only knew that she was ready.