Since the meeting with his litter mates the young boy had been thinking over pretty much everything. Plague walked into that gathering believing that he did not desire a crown but a mere pendant of his undying loyalty. He merely wished to aid his family's Empire as much as possible and he thought he'd be best suited as the second. But, as Venom was granting the title of the one and only heiress while the other four pups sat back and trained to be lesser there was quite an uproar. First Pest then Tox and finally he even spoke up announcing he'd want to be in the running for Emperor. His actions had taken even himself by surprise but he felt as though it'd be unfair to himself to rule the option out so early on in life. Thus, he'd work on his primary training in navigation, fighting, and overall intellect with diplomatic lessons as well. Plague hoped that even if he wasn't destined for the throne he'd come out a better Wolf for have such a grand aspiration. Hefty paws hit the earth as the white Wolf sprinted through the wilds. Trees and wilderness passed by as he moved through the terrain as if it wasn't even there. Deep forest green eyes were squeezed into slants as they took in each obstacle. In those quick moments of running he found himself controlling his breathing well. The boy wasn't seen panting but calculating his breaths through his nose and mouth with expertise. This was something that he had been working on in his free time. Plague was interested in speed and endurance while awaiting instruction from his mentor. He wasn't interested in passing his time with laziness so he worked day in and day out on many skills. It wasn't long before the young serpent found his way to the Shrine. The hazy magenta water casted a glow upon the rocks towering above. Plague slowed with ease as his abdomen moved up and down. Despite having trained his breathing he was still labored from the exercise. The beast shook out his body as he took a few steps towards the water. A low growl emitted from his throat as he stretched. After a moment he moved to take a seat at the pool and look down at himself. Green eyes took in his windswept appearance with a rather neutral expression. ""

Venom knew from the moment that she could hear her mother’s gentle musings that she was destined for greatness. Sirius fostered it within her as he trained her from a very young age. However she hadn’t realized how lofty her goal could be until her mother called she and her siblings together. Maybe she hadn’t done much to ‘deserve’ the position, but she was first born and she was the most highly blessed. Venom wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity for competition though. She’d prove doubly that she was worthy to lead her siblings in the future.

Knowing there was competition only drove the young princess to be better, she had to train harder and learn more than her siblings. There was no time for playing or being anything but seriousness about her future. She was often found patrolling, her white gloved paws pulled her forward over the border. Venom was learning to pace herself, it wouldn’t do if she raced her patrol and at the end after she was winded came in contact with a threat to the pack.

Eventually the young princess found herself approaching the shrine. She felt it was a quiet place, somewhere that affected her more in the spiritual realm than the physical. Much like her mother she could feel closer to her father here, his presence was nearly palpable. Her thoughts were interrupted with a growl, and for a brief moment she thought her father had indeed manifested into the physical world. As she appeared before the shrine she realized she’d mistaken her brother for her father.

She was both relieved and disappointed. Venom missed Archon, she still felt like he had been stolen from her much too early. He should have been there, teaching her and showing her the paths she needed to take. Though she did have brilliant guides in her life she still wished for her sire. Plague was staring into the water and Venom wondered silently what it was he saw in those glowing waters. ”Plague,” her voice was soft. Even though they were rivals she knew that her siblings would be her biggest asset in the future if she turned into the Empress or not. She approached slowly, her slightly shorter form coming to a halt behind him, just far enough away she couldn’t see her expression within the mystical pool.

Peering into the reflection of his forest green eyes the young Prince was still. The breeze would tamper with his illustrious alabaster and mottled brown fur but he didn't move in the slightest. Plague focused on his breathing and the gentle movement of the water. With the breeze came shifts and ripples. Every now and again he could see his form crystal clear. Yet, it was not long before he noticed another presence. The scent was carried by the wind and the pad falls came forth a bit after. Venom. He could nearly feel her fierce gaze upon his dappled back as she moved closer. As her steps stopped and the gentle call was made Plague finally ripped his gaze from the pool. Sharp optics flicked as his head shifted. Taking in her mutated and rather monochromatic form he offered a tiny nod. "Venom." Lips remained slipped into expressionless lines as he gestured to the spot at his side with a black nose. - With that the boy moved his gaze back to the water, expecting to see her reflection to join his own. "Should you not be training to crush us on in this race to our mother's throne?" ""

Plague was waiting for her as Venom’s slender frame appeared before her brother and the shrine. He looked to be meditating, a practice they were taught as small children. Another reminder of Archon. He motioned for her to join him after greeting her back. The emotion behind his next words was indecipherable, but Venom would answer with honesty. ”I’m always training, dearest brother.” She offered vaguely as she curled her limbs beneath her and leaned against her taller sibling.

”And if you think it’s a race, you’ve already lost.” Her eyes flashed as she spoke. Venom was confident she would be the last one standing, even if she had to beat her brother into submission. Pestilence was already in trouble with mom, and Tox discussed leaving Ashen for a time to do more study. Calamity was a wild card, but she was confident she could defeat her antlered sister as well.

As Venom leaned against Plague she would have felt the young male tense slightly. He was not a fan of much physical interaction but would not protest nonetheless. Out of his siblings he felt the closest to Venom but that was not saying much at all. He admired her confidence but was rather distant with all of his sisters. Since the loss of their Father he felt pretty lost and often spent days completely alone. Running, training, and exploring. Plague was focused on himself but not for selfish reasons. Now that Archon was gone he wanted to be able to be there for his family. He didn't think he could ever fill those massive paw prints but he'd try. Silver laced vocals left his sister's slender jaws. Plague felt his lips curl up ever so slightly as he flashed her a mild sneer. "Save your arrogance for our sisters." The male looked down to their reflection with seemingly empty green eyes. His voice was deep but mostly void of any emotion, "I am not interested in any titles." Plague shrugged softly, "It would have been ignorant to completely throw away my place in the competition. My involvement will ensure you four work harder to earn the throne." ""

Venom took after her mother in that she enjoyed and sought out physical contact. Leaning into her brother’s side was as natural to her as embracing their mother and Empress. Easy. She didn’t miss him tense up, but he didn’t pull away from her either. If he really wanted to serve their family it was likely he’d take one of their uncle’s places as Daimyo or hand. Venom would need to trust her sibling. Hopefully today was the start of something stronger and he’d stop being so distant with her.

She didn’t expect what he said either, her pink and purple eyes turned away from him as he called out her unnecessary arrogance and told her that he didn’t really want the title of Emperor. He just wanted to push his sisters harder. ”Watch, they’ll fall by the wayside.” Maybe the almost yearling was over confident, but she was sure both Pestilence and Toxicity didn’t have what it took to take their mother’s place. She couldn’t deny her love for both of them, though Pesto still kind of felt like a traitor. The competition would be fierce.

”So, have you seen mother and uncle Hannibal together?” She swiftly changed the subject as her fiery gaze looked from the glowing water and back to his forest green gaze in question. Did he notice how close the two of them were or had he been hiding too much? Plague was the only one of her siblings she would have asked in the moment, and she wondered if Plague really was the one she trusted most.

Plague could feel his sibling's confidence in the air. The flick of her forked tongue and the literal venom that leaked from her words. She reminded him of a true Snake, maybe a King Cobra. He could see his sister obtaining the crown and melding it into her own one day. A crown of bones atop her pristine monochromatic cranium. But, the vivid scenery of the gloomy future was only of his imagination. As of now they were mere pups with more pressing matters at paw. Training, learning, and achieving. Plague wouldn't allow himself to get swallowed up by the hunger for power that seemingly weaved through the Abraxas-Klein veins. "I will believe it when I see it, Venom." The sudden shift of subjects caught the large boy off guard but did not come as a complete surprise. It was true that their mother and uncle had been awfully close with one another as of late. Belle's den had Hannibal's scent painted all over it. He wasn't dull enough to believe that they had been having pack related discussions all hours of the day and night. "Mother enjoys a warm den." Plague's nose wrinkled slightly as he looked to his own sibling. "I care not of their relations as long as he does not do her wrong." ""

Venom wasn’t sure if Plague just didn’t have any faith in her or if he had too much in their siblings. The only one who she felt truly challenged by was Pestilence, but with her recent outburst and want to escape Ashen Venom was even more comfortable in her position. Whatever the case of her brother’s opinion, she would show him the truth in her words.

The realities of life were anything but hidden to the young Kleins, she knew too much of the adult world. Her brother was not blind either as he answered her with a wrinkled nose. Venom couldn’t help but smirk, she didn’t much care what their mother did either. She was the Empress and did what she wanted. Or who she wanted. ”After everything that’s happened I want her to be happy.” She followed up with, not harboring any ill will towards the high ranking Klein.

”Do you think we’ll have more brothers and sisters?” Venom asked quietly as she placed her head on her paws. She’d never bonded with any of their father’s other children. Would they get a second chance? She liked Sirius’s kids, she kind of hoped for younger siblings.

Plague observed his sibling with a forest green gaze. The same eyes their father once had. Soon they would be a year old and officially walking their own path. Plague had matured at a very young age with the loss of their father, but upon turning a year old they would be held accountable for their actions. No longer could they get into messes and fix it with puppy dog eyes. Yet, all of that being said he felt as though he remembered the days they were all messing about in the palace without a care in the world. Thinking onto their mother's relationship was proof of how much had changed. Suiters for the Empress had come and gone but it seemed their uncle had made his claim. Plague didn't care about their relationship as long as Deathbelle was happy. Such ideals were voiced by his sister as well. Plague offered a simple nod in return before thinking of her next inquire. Would they have younger siblings? Plague couldn't say he really cared either way but it would improve upon the next generation of their family. He'd probably spend some time proving upon himself so he could teach any coming younger siblings what he knows. Being a mentor would be good for the boy but otherwise he was indifferent. "Our mother will have an empty nest soon. I cannot see her not desiring more children." Deathbelle was a nurturing woman who enjoyed having a thriving next full of pups. That much was clear. "Do you want more siblings?" ""