You Wash Your Hands, You Come Home Clean...

Ashiel growled in frustration, his ears pinned back to his head to help protect them from the freezing wind that was howling down from the north. He'd gotten turned around thanks to a fever and now he was stuck in a snow storm. He cursed himself for not leaving sooner. At this rate he was going to be stuck in the north all winter and then he'd never figure out what his dreams meant. He needed to speak with Serene badly but the weather was just not cooperating with him. To make matters worse he was stuck in the frozen field where there was very little in the way of shelter. He maneuvered across the slippery slopes, trying his best to be careful until his paws suddenly went out from under him and he went tumbling down the slope, landing with a thud in a pile of snow.

"Talk"

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis had been hanging out in the north as long as the weather would allow her and it seemed determined to push her out. The wind howled and beat at her, the snow stung her ears but she moved in the same steady pace she always had and towards the same destination. Nowhere. Alkali swooped down and landed in front of her.

"Alkali, did you find that injured doe?"

The bird shook her glossy head. "No, but I've found something better. I think your son is back in Boreas, follow me!"

The hawk took to the sky and Pyralis raced after her. Ashiel was back? Why was he back? Last they'd spoke he'd decided that he was going to live with Amon and raise his daughter. Her heart pounded. If he was here then something must've happened and for a moment she wondered if she still had her dear brother. Pyalis scrambled down the glacier, just managing to keep he feet. She saw her son's body laying there and her heart nearly leapt out of her throat. "Ashiel!"

You Wash Your Hands, You Come Home Clean...

Ashiel groggily opened his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure where he was other than it was warm and soft here. The wind roared outside and he peered out into a dusk overshadowed by the falling snow of a raging blizzard and he found himself wondering if it was ever going to stop.He wasn't sure he cared. The nightmare that had been plaguing his dreams was over. He was warm and snug here, just like a little pup. His eyes started to close again before awareness slapped him in the face. "Mother!" He stared at Pyralis who just smirked back at him. "You're alive! What are you doing here?" Uncertainty filtered in. Maybe he was still dreaming?

"Talk"

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis chuckled and cocked her head to the side. "Of course I'm alive, why wouldn't I be?" True, she was getting on in years and that was something she didn't care to think about much. Ceasing to be terrified her. Amon would tell them what they were destined for but, well, she didn't really believe much in that any more. "Besides. I said I was going to explore the north. I'm exactly where I should be. You on the other hand… Ashiel I wasn't expecting you'd return to Boreas at all." At least not for a few years. She'd certainly hoped she'd see her son again before she died but this was far sooner than she expected. It made her worry that something had happened back home.

"You have a bit of a fever. Probably caught something on your way back. I don't know of any healers in the area but I'm not worried. I think you'll live."

You Wash Your Hands, You Come Home Clean...

Ashiel fell quiet and looked out at the entrance of the den where the snow continued to fall at a furious pace, nearly blending into a solid sheet of white before his vision. He'd been having terrible dreams of late, many he feared might be visions but he'd never had the chance to really work through those with Serene. Abraxas had not spoken to him in any of these dreams or visions and so he had no idea what to make of them. Perhaps they really were just his fears and insecurities made manifest and plaguing him over and over. Perhaps it was guilt over leaving Risen.

However, he just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Something bad, here. Ashiel felt his family was in trouble though Pyralis seemed to be doing quite well. In his dreams everything was dark and very cold and there was blood frozen into the ground all around him. Malleus was dead. Pyralis was dead. Archon, Aureus, Apollo and more than he was able to recognize before he too was taken by something nameless in the dark.

Ashiel turned to face his mother and spoke, telling her of his dreams, of his nightmares, of… what he hoped would not be portents of things to come.

"Talk"

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis' expression fell, smoothing over into impassive ice as she gazed quietly at her son. She'd never really known what to make of his gifts. She knew she would die but certainly not any time soon. She was strong and healthy and far more willful than even her family knew. Besides, how did she know these were really visions and not just vivid dreams? She sighed. Pyralis felt she should've been the first to believe in her son's abilities but she had fallen more and more out of belief to the point that she just cast it aside altogether. Nothing had happened. Nothing struck her down. The sky was still clear and bright and the weather beautiful.

"Ashiel, it was probably just a dream. As you can see I'm fine and besides your fever could be making your dreams more vivid than usual. It's probably nothing."

You Wash Your Hands, You Come Home Clean...

Ashiel's brow wrinkled and he scowled at his mother. "You know about my visions, mother. Do you honestly think I would leave my daughter and come all this way if something bad wasn't about to happen? Why would you even ask me such things? We need to get back to Risen now!" Grumbling, Ashiel stumbled to his feet. Nothing was making sense and his mother wasn't helping matters. If she had any sense she'd leave him and take a message back to Risen. He shook out his head trying to gain some clarity. He was tired and light-headed but he'd had enough of lying around.

"Talk"

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis sighed and using her fore paws pushed her son back down into a laying position. "You're being ridiculous. Of course something is happening. There have been tremors in Boreas lately, strange flocks of birds, boiling water, and more besides. Everyone knows something is amiss visions or not." She pulled away from Ashiel, setting on the opposite side of the den, closer to the entrance. "I've been thinking a lot lately, I've been studying… been testing. I've been wondering, what if my father was just a crazy old man with delusions of grandeur? What if there is a madness that runs in this family? Every 'great act' I can remember could easily be chalked up to coincidence."

She sighed. "Ashiel. By nature this 'vision' of yours has a 50% chance of being right. No, actually a 100% chance of being right because everyone dies. Some sooner, some later."

You Wash Your Hands, You Come Home Clean...

Ashiel's stomach flipped, horror rose like bile in his throat. He could barely comprehend what his mother was saying to the point he almost couldn't find the words. "Silence your blasphemous tongue! What are you thinking saying such things? You are going to get yourself in trouble. Going to get me in trouble. Further more, what would Amon say?" He could feel panic welling inside him. Pyralis was getting on in years and this was no time to be having a crisis of faith when her very soul was hanging in the balance. Surely she would be putting her affairs in order and striving toward eternity. "Are you ill? Something is off with you. That is it, we're going to Risen back where everything makes sense." He stood more steadily this time and shook off his coat as he peeked out into the snow storm which seemed to be slowing. His mother was just going through a rebellious streak. He would make her see sense.

"Talk"

All You Have Is Your Fire...

Pyralis inwardly flinched at the mention of Amon and she quickly turned away. "I won't be seeing him again and you were the one found unconscious in the snow not me." She pushed roughly past her son and out in the snow which was now falling gently across the territory. "This should be an interesting exercise for you, don't you think Ashiel? You'll get to decide if you're going to sell out your own mother, if you'll attack me, maybe even kill me? Now wouldn't that be something." Her eyes flicked to the moon which was barely visible behind a halo of clouds. There was no point arguing with her son, she knew she'd never convince him but she didn't want to lie to him either. She still had a few matters to take care of in the north.

"I won't argue with you. I intend to stay in the north a little bit longer. You can do as you please."

-exit-