The sound of the bubbling water next to him was relaxing as he lay sprawled out on the warm floor beside one of the pools. The late autumn air was growing colder as winter drew closer, but he had managed to stumble across an unclaimed paradise where he could keep warm. The festival on the islands had been fun, but now that it was over.. he found himself craving more interaction with other wolves. Altair was pleasant company and he was having fun teaching her things, but the older wolves he'd met at the festival had him wondering who else was out there. He had been running from Ruina for so long that he forgot about the other wolves out in the world, ones not even tied to that at all. It was hard to believe that they existed before, for some reason.. maybe all the lessons about how wolves and demons are so closely linked.

He closed his eyes, frustration coming over him again as he tried his best not to dive into those thoughts. He was still trying to forget everything his father taught him and write it off as madness, but somehow it always crept into his brain late at night... especially when he was by himself. He just wanted to finally rest and be rid of it all. He tried to focus instead on the sound of the snake he'd found in his company as of late bathing itself in the water of the hot springs. He could feel it return to the thick of his fur of his neck but rest flat against the warmth of the ground as well. He could not imagine what it would be like to rely on the elements for warmth completely as this snake did, but he didn't mind keeping to warmer climates for it during the colder seasons. Thoughts of the future and what it might be like traveling with this snake did help him relax.

At some point, the teen had managed to find some sleep. He figured the coverage of the trees kept him safe enough, but honestly.. he really wasn't thinking about his own safety while he slept. It'd been a while since anything had tried to pick a fight with him, perhaps he was too comfortable.. but that was him. He never slept hard anyway, so with a semi-conscious ear listening, he faded away from reality and let the day transition over into the night.

Tyranis stalked through the hot springs, clad in his armor as usual. It wasn’t often that he was challenged to fights, but the threat always presented itself in his mind after fighting for so long as the alpha of Erövrare. Thoughts of his old pack always made him a bit testy, remembering the string of betrayals that Hannibal had orchestrated, everything from having his children taken away to eventually challenging him for his throne. He had won that battle, he recalled clearly, and immediately afterward the red band leader attempted to challenge him in his weakened state, for no other reason than to prove…something…He wasn’t sure what he would prove fighting a weakened warrior like himself other than his own cowardice. His words still rankled with him though, how he turned down every fight he didn’t need to participate in. If he ever saw the man again he’d prove how true that was. He sneezed, hoping to relieve some of the stress he carried, he had hung up his crown for good it seemed but stress still plagued him and left his heart heavy. He decided to think on his children, they would be a year old soon and had been the only good thing to come from the pack. Soon they would be old enough to go out and find their familiars just as he had in Ruina and he felt his heart soar at the thought. He thought of what companions would suit his children, and then, almost against his will, he remembered that Tythe wouldn’t be participating in the event and his heart sank all over again. He shuffled on, hoping the steam would clear his head but so far it hadn’t been working, he felt his cobra companion flex against his neck and give him a small squeeze, sensing his discomfort and sighed quietly. His eyes narrowed behind the eye sockets of the pig skull and he felt his hackles rise as a familiar scent reached him. Elias. No. It couldn’t be, Elias was dead. He crept closer, head low, a soft growl edging through his throat as he approached the huge shrouded by the steam. He stepped closer and realized in an instant who he was looking at. The last time he had seen the boy he had been a frizzy furred pup, but now he was huge the absolute pinnacle of size, larger even than Elias had been, and considerably stockier. “Dominus?” He quested, his ears pinning back cautiously.   speaking Thinking

The steam in the air to keep him warm was as relaxing as ever, aiding him to remain sound asleep as the Kingsnake rested curled up beside him to remind him he wasn't alone. He needed some downtime after all the traveling he had recently done, so shamelessly he slept through the night. Eventually, that semi-conscious ear even forfeited it's focus as he started to sleep hard enough to dream. Everything seemed quiet enough out here, and those bubbles.. were just so soothing.

Tyranis was able to get close, incredibly close.. enough so that if he had any sort of ill-will, Dominus would have likely been in trouble. It wasn't until the man spoke up that Dominus broke through the trance of sleep and lifted his head, immediately searching for the source of his name. What he found was an incredibly terrifying sight. A dead boar shrouded by mist, he could see dark colored fur and paws like a wolf.. but what the hell was he looking at?

The remembrance of demons and his father words struck fear into his young heart, every muscle in his body tensing as his fur stood on end, involuntarily hackling as his pupils seemed to shrink. Was he truly facing a wolf demon? Was this the one that his father promised him he would meet, the one that he was told would not allow him to stray from his duties? The teen titan very slowly stood up to get onto his feet just in case he did have to fight for his life, though he knew he was no match for a demon... he had no idea what to do, but there had to be another explanation. Domina always said this stuff was bullshit, it had to be.

His eyes narrowed only slightly as he tried to figure out what this being was, it smelled like a wolf.. and.. the longer Dominus stared granted him the ability to discern what was armor and what was living. This was a wolf, and apparently, one that knew him enough to call out his name.

"Just in case no one ever told you, that get up is very creepy. You fucking scared the shit out of me, guy. Do I know you?" He waited for the snake in his company to find it's way up to his right forelimb like it usually did when Dominus started to move. Once he felt his companion secure around his neck and shoulders, he started to take a few steps back to put a bit more distance between him and the stranger. He really didn't like the idea of having to fight someone in that kind of armor, and silently prayed that this was a friendly wolf that knew him or something and not one of his father's enemies. Bright blue eyes were relaxed as he did his best to mask the pace that his heart was beating and how much adrenaline from his fear was soaring through his veins currently.

“It’s me.” He spoke, quietly, in far too foul of a mood to laugh at what would have been a funny statement under normal circumstances. Slowly he dropped his head and slid the helmet off his head, revealing golden white rimmed eyes and a heavily battered face. Looking at the boy he realized just how much had happened since the fall of Ruina and felt his heart grow even heavier. “It’s been a long time.” He said with a patient heavy tone, feeling as if he had just been caught doing something wrong. That was far from unusual considering where he had stood the night Elias killed his daughter, it had become one of many regrets he had accumulated over the years although he couldn’t say with any certainty that Dominus had known what had transpired that faithful night. He looked away, sullen his eyes downcast, feeling once again like a broken king while Raanee lifted her head quizzically. “Food.” She called him, trying to evoke memories of the last time they met, when he was well within size to be eaten. Tyranis’s heart panged at that, remembering how much he had given for Ruina, how enchanted he had been by tales of demons and destiny, his father’s words on Mount Vulcan, proclaiming him as a superb specimen of their lineage. All for nothing. He was no leader, no great conqueror, and no lightning demon made flesh, just a wolf, like any other. speaking Thinking

Dominus watched as the man removed his helmet, immediately recognizing those memorable eye markings. This was brother, Tyranis. His mind flashed back to when they'd met and Tyranis had given him a lesson in crafting. He remembered how fascinated he was with that very same cobra that wrapped around his neck... very much like the one he'd managed to find.

The Kingsnake moved up the teen's spine so that it could rest square in the middle of Dominus' wide forehead while leaving a trail that separated the youth's wild mane of fur. It watched with its oil slick stare, fascinated by the other wolf's companion. Without moving anymore once it decided it'd found the perfect vantage point to watch what transpired, it quietly flicked its blue tongue. Nearly the same exact shade as the boy's own tongue.

Dominus couldn't look away as he then remembered the night he'd climbed up that mountain to discover what Elias had done to his sister. He remembered Tyranis there, but Tyranis' back was turned... he likely didn't even know Dominus watched, and Dominus wasn't sure what to say or whether or not he should say anything at all.

"Tyranis, my half-brother," He finally said, smirking as he remembered how Tyranis had first introduced himself to him. His ears displayed the silver of the backing to the man as he expressed his apologies.

"It's good to see you, but.. looks like you've been through a lot. No wonder you're wearing that, maybe you should put it back on." He teased, trying his best to lighten the situation. There was a lot he could discuss with his brother, but he really didn't want to have to face what he was trying to put behind him again. All he really wanted to talk about now was...

"You never did let me hold him, but that's okay. I sorta found one of my own, and was wondering if you could help me figure out maybe what the fuck it is? Do I have to be afraid of it biting me and going into a coma? Do you know it's gender maybeee, I don'--" He started to shake his had as he was talking, trying to make the snake uncomfortable and slide off. Once he managed to make it lose its security on his spine, he tossed it off onto the floor... but the snake seemed rather unphased by the brutish handling. Where parts of its body landed that were upside down, they would quickly turn themselves back over and keep its attention on the strangers, more specifically.. the Cobra. They left their body long rather than coiled, though moved ever so slowly back in the direction of the teen's leg.

Dominus watched his companion curiously, he couldn't recall it ever taking an interest in someone like it was just now, was it because of the other snake.. or because it understood this was Dominus' bloodline? What Dominus had yet to discover about his friend, unfortunately, was everything that its diet consisted of. Kingsnakes lived primarily off of other reptiles, and while Dominus had witnessed it eat a chameleon, he'd yet to see it actually go for another snake.. which was it's absolute favorite if it had to choose.

What Dominus did know, however, was the snake's hunting behavior. It didn't take him long to realize that the snake was loosening its jaw and getting ready for striking rather than defending, He quickly moved over to step on the snake and prevent it from going any further- knowing full well he was about to piss off the snake, but it didn't seem to hurt him any the last few times he let the snake bite him. What it would do was force the snake to redirect its attention onto Dominus, and that was all he needed for now. Dom winced as the snake's fangs sunk into his forelimb but they didn't stay, the snake simply bit once and continued to try to get out from under the titan's weight.

Dominus looked back up to his brother once he felt that the snake was secure beneath him, he had no words but he kept his body language submissive in hopes that Tyranis would see he really didn't mean for the snake to cause any problems.

Raanee hissed and opened her hood, brandishing her fangs at the snake that dared to threaten her while from his perch Moses moved closer, his bladelike beak glistening from the steam surrounding them and his claws digging into the branch where he stood. The bird could be fiercely protective of both Tyranis, and the man’s familiar but knew full well they were both deadly in their own right. Tyranis stepped closer, examining the serpent’s head and eyes before making his judgement. “It’s not a viper, that’s for sure, from the way it’s acting under your paw I’d say it’s a constrictor and lacks venom." He explained, starting to feel tired between the heat and the emotional drain seeing any of his family put on him. Speech Thought

Dominus' bright blue stare drifted up slowly to the avian as the reflection of light off its beak caught his eye; he kept calm but his concern for the new serpent he'd been sharing his time with was growing rapidly. The weight of his heavy paw remained firm against the writhing body of the snake. His eyes fell back down to his brother's face, trying to read if he was already frustrated with his snake companion or not. He seemed apathetic, perhaps tired...

The teen's heartbeat rapidly within his chest as he watched Tyranis and listened to his words. He reconfirmed what Dominus had already suspected, that the snake was not venomous, but that he was perhaps a constrictor?

"Thanks," he spoke softly and decided it better to say nothing else on snakes. He could tell Tyranis wanted to get back to wherever he was going, and Dominus didn't want to press his patience. Touching on the subject of his father was something that made his chest tighten and made everything within him tell him not to ask- but he had to know if he only had minutes left with this man.

"I just want to ask you something, then I'll be back out of your way. What happened that day on Mount Volkan? After Elias killed my sister, did Acere kill him for that?" His voice came off as stable, but there was a lot of hope built up within him causing his emotions to soar. If Elias was dead, the world seemed a lot... safer.. and Dominus secretly hoped for some closure. The snake seemed to calm down, no longer writhing but instead coiling back closer to the heavy paw of the wolf.

Dominous asked why Acere had killed their father, and Tyranis felt his heart clench with guilt. That was the day he chose to stand by his father’s side before he turned on him as well. The words his father spoke still rang clearly in his mind: “… absolutely legendary.” He shook his head to himself, swallowing his sufficiently beaten down pride. “Our father was sick, he had the mind blight, I don’t know if he was ever truly sane.” He said, his words heavy. “Acere put him out of his misery for what he did to your sister, for what he did to my mother, for what he did to gods know how many others, and all the unspeakable horrors he committed.” He shook his head again and took a deep breath. “There was a time when I was desperate for acceptance, when I believed in Elias, because I thought he was the only one who believed in me, but in the end, they were just words. Maybe he was afraid and saw me as the only one who could protect him, but when I needed him most, he was not there.” Would things have been different if he had been there? Would he have given up his pack if Elias had stayed by his side? Would he have ever joined Acere and Winterfell, or would they still be fighting to this day? He had no way of knowing, and so he couldn’t say. speaking Thinking