Archon paced. Obi had followed him around for a while, but then settled down to start whittling away at a stick. Hannibal had lost and the alphas were taking him as a joke. As if their little homes meant as much as God's shrine. Alphas thought they had more stay or more power because they laid some piss border around where they slept.

If Risen backed him, they could raid and cause true suffering as God intended. They could chase the mortals from their shrine. They could revamp it, make it better, make it a true house of God. How could they not see that? How could they sit there behind their very own piss barriers like a pack of mortals?

It ate at him. He couldn't stand it. And yet there wasn't anything he could do. He LIVED by his father's teachings. He lived and breathed it. How could they not see?

She had traveled through a dry hell, one that had nearly claimed the dark goddess's life. Had it not been for Rameses she wouldn't be alive now, but she had come home. It was the Fallen Band she thought of while fever dreams struck and her body was ravaged by sun sickness. The desert was not a kind place, and she felt as though she had been set on fire multiple times. Still, the monstrous woman waited in the shade of the oasis as she healed, and once she gained her strength, she made her return to the Band. Dea made the journey through the barren hills and around the caverns of this region, wondering if she would run into them anywhere. It was in the most unexpected place that she was returned to the side of her secret god, the one she would follow provided she could stay away from desert's. It had been a dream that forced her out there on the yellow expances of sand. Having learned her lesson, she was ready to admit that she could not adapt everywhere. A familiar scent jarred her from her thoughts and she snapped her head up as she traversed through the swamps toward the shrine. She had gotten distracted by her sister, whose appearance always foretold death. Thus, she had missed the fight, The idea being that she could convert Zeivah and bring her home to Archon. It had been for nothing, had accomplished nothing. Even though she had missed his battle, she would have supported him and he knew that. She hoped he knew that. There was an eagerness to her steps now, moving quickly and following the scent trail left by her personal god. Archon was pacing as she arrived, with Obi whittling a stick nearby. Something had gone horribly wrong. "Archon!" She greeted him excitedly but gently, hoping he would not be further upset by her sudden arrival. Dea could tell he was in a dark place, and was thankful she got to be here for him when it was obvious he had no one else. Even Obi appeared to have given up.

Obi was the first one to spot the woman. She had been kind of a respite for Archon when he was on his up swing of Abraxas tasks. Obi had figured things got a little too real for her a little too fast and she had just left, bit here she was in Archon's time of need. Obi wasn't sure if it was on purpose or if it was by the grace of God.

Archon slowly noticed Dea when her voice called to him. He looked at her slowly, his brow knitted together. What kind of cruel twist was this that she came back to him after his failure? Surely she was here to deliver a message, there was no other way.

"Dea?"

The question in his voice as he said her name made her heart clench, and she was sure she didn't have one of those. "We didn't get the Shrine, huh?" Having been the first place she'd expected him to be, Dea had sought out the Shrine where Archon had washed her face after her fight with the brat, Caelestis. Instead of Archon, she had found the scent of a pack lingering still, it was an unexpected blow. Defeat was also the only other thing she could imagine would have him in such a tiff. Pacing the way he was, the blow to his spirit had to be much harder. Not bothering to wait on his answer, Dea gave a small smile. "Come on, let's go kill something. All that pacing energy could be channeled into more productive things than ditch digging." She would be doing the same, padding a rut into the ground. She came to stand beside him and aimed to nudge him with her shoulder. A wink was tossed over to Obi, and with a grin, Dea moved away toward where deer had been spotted. Hoping Archon followed her, she could only guess at what he felt for now but she knew when a distraction was needed. "Talking!"

He didn't move to greet Dea, but he wasn't hostile towards her either. He had many questions he needed to ask- both her and God. She mentioned that they didn't get the shrine and Archon's eyes met hers, "Yet." Even to himself, his voice sounded raspy and almost desperate.

Dea suggested they go hunting, "I do not require sustenance of that type," Archon argued in a hushed and hurried voice. He needed spiritual filling, not mortal filling. A look from Obi that was half comical and half pitying told him that he was being unreasonable. "But... I will accept," Archon said, giving in to Dea's request. He accepted her physical contact with less restraint and followed her willingly. Obi stayed behind.

After they walked a moment, Archon's questions surfaced, "Where were you, Dea?"

Archon was lucky that he was special to Dea, otherwise his initial refusal of a hunt would have been met with teeth and anger. As it was, Dea simply turned her ears back as a cold dread washed over her frame. She was unaccustomed to feeling guilt or shame, and as she internalized her own personal problems, she realized that she was feeling these things for the first time. Archon had ways of making her do things she was not known for doing, like feeling. She understood why he would be abrasive, and that was new to her as well, understanding any other being was definitely against her nature. She was a bite first, never ask questions type of wolf, and she always had been. Archon just had a way of making her behave differently around him.

His question made her pause, a painful expression on her face as if he had struck her, and she turned the bright pink of her gaze away from him momentarily. Where she had been wasn't as important as how she had come to be there, or why. Her best course was honesty, not that she would ever lie to Archon, he was her god in a sense. The demonic goddess let out a sigh, "I was being taught a lesson, one wrong turn and our God decides it should be a learning activity." Archon would surely need more clarification than what she had offered, and she wasn't quite sure how she should go about it. The guilt and sadness in her voice would surely need explaining, as it wasn't like her to display such things.

"I hadn't realized until it was pointed out...but...I get hopelessly lost without you to guide me." She tried to give him a smile, but the guilt of not being there for him when he needed her ate at the expression. Shame filled her at having gotten lost, and she swallowed hard to make the lump in her throat go down. Dea wouldn't cry, she wouldn't because she was stronger than that. What if he told her to leave, though? What if he didn't want her around anymore? God help her, Dea had never felt so insecure or horrible in her life, why now?

As they went on their way, Dea began to answer his questions. She said she had been taught a lesson by God. Archon did have a lot of questions, but he let her continue. She said that she was hopelessly lost without Archon to guide her and offered him faltering smile. She seemed apologetic and Archon was torn as to whether or not she should be scolded or comforted. He wished he had a moment to pray and so see when God wished for him to do, but that would take too long and he needed to make a decision. What did he feel? What was God telling him to do?

Dea had been brought into his life and became a dedicated follower. She accepted Archon and she accepted God. Archon felt like she was meant to be here- with him. God had brought her back to him when she was astray...

Archon stopped walking and, in probably the worst show of affection ever, leaned lightly into Dea and rested his chin on her neck. "Then don't leave again and I will continue to guide you for as long as you stay." He wasn't sure what to do after this. Was this comforting? Archon kind of waited to see if Dea would snap at him or when he needed to pull away. He wasn't used to physical affection and wasn't really sure if this situation was one which called for it, but it was too late now.

Dea felt her head spin as she waited for him to reply, to scold her or hold her. She wasn't sure what to expect from him, but their God had brought her back to him and she was loathe to ever leave again. Hell, last time she had become hopelessly lost and the ordeal had nearly cost her her life. Once his words were given, half command and half commitment, Dea relaxed. His embrace made every hair on her body stand on end as if she had been electrocuted. She prayed he couldn't feel how much her journey with God had cost her. Dea wasn't her full one hundred percent yet, her frame was still on the thin side.

Dea was unused to physical contact this warm, though, by all normal accounts, their closeness would be seen as awkward. She responded to his touch, leaning into him to encourage further contact. It was nice to experience mercy, to be close to Archon made her heart slam against her chest and stop at the same time. Her mind was a whirlwind as gravity seemed to shift beneath her paws, the world turning under her as they stood in that moment. Dea couldn't help the feeling that changes were coming, something good would happen soon. "I have found my place once again, I've known it since our first meeting. You have my word, Archon, I am ever at your side." Her loyalty had been pledged before, and she had meant it. The dark goddess was bound by her word, as her demonic father before her.

She would not let Archon down again.

She didn't recoil nor retaliate. Instead, Dea pressed against Archon. He felt an obscure feeling in his chest and tried to hone in on it. It was peculiar to want to be near someone and as she spoke, an idea began to form in his mind. He was sure this tugging at his heart- at his very being- was God's doing and that he should follow it to whatever end God intended.

Dea told him that she would ever be at his side and Archon rocked his head slightly so that his maw would come close to her ear, "Prove it, then," he said. "To me and to God, prove it."

Archon pulled back from her slightly to look at her face and to show how serious he was. "Let's make our blood one so that we may be bound together by the life of our offspring. So that you and I can raise the next generation of Fallen. Why God has led you back to me in this hour- I know it must be His will."

Prove it then... His words took her by surprise. How on earth was she going to prove it, unless she just...stayed by his side? As he pulled back from her, the demonic queen looked him over questioningly, searching his serious expression for a crack. Had she misunderstood him? Let's make our blood one so that we may be bound together by the life of our offspring. It played over and over in her head as she looked him over for a long moment, a few seconds passed as she simply blinked at him. Dea knew her heart wanted it, but she wasn't sure if this was a step in the right direction to claim his. Hell, she was new to even having true feelings aside from anger and contempt for the world.

It took quite a few seconds as she stared into the depths of Archon's eyes, as though she peered into his very soul. Her face was expressionless, and gave nothing away other than her questing gaze. The devil and the god, truly they were both gods in their own right. Any offspring would be strong, worthy of Lucifer's blood, worthy of their Fallen God's blood. Finally, her porcelain mask broke and she gave him a warm, reassuring smile. "You never cease to surprise me. I accept and agree. Our God must want something from us, perhaps this is it. A joining of our blood would result in strong offspring." She ducked her head a bit moving to tuck her head beneath his chin and smile. Dea growled softly, more like a deep purr than a growl, just before nipping at his jaw. She traced it to the bottom of his ear, whispering softly, "I'll prove it..." before pulling back to look in his eyes, once again searching for something.

What she was looking for, she couldn't be sure. Only that she was looking for it.

**FADE**

She was surprised. Good. Archon needed something to test her and to make her make the final jump to him and to his side. He waited as she thought it out, as her head and heart spun around each other again and again before coming to a singular decision. Finally they seemed to agree on something and Archon was left to wait for only a moment before she would utter her response.

She admitted she was surprised by him and Archon nodded. She said it might be God's will, but Archon knew it was. He was unsure why God suddenly wanted him to bear offspring, but he knew it was his time to do so. Dea also acknowledged that their pups would be strong. She then offered herself to him, claiming she would prove it to him. To God. Archon accepted and pressed himself against her. They would become one, filled with unspoken feelings as well as spiritually.

--FADE--