There was a place that she had avoided for the majority of her life, but as white gloved paws carried her on a pilgrimage of sorts Venom found her sunset gaze captured by the volcano that had changed her life forever. Most days its looming presence was fully ignored, it didn’t have to exist in her happy little world. Maybe that was a subconscious reason she hadn’t set foot here in a very long time. It was no fault of Recluse in the least bit, and as her mind reversed she wondered why their relationship was not closer.

There was always the underlying dislike of anything Klein by her once husband. Maybe his words did affect her actions. That was entirely her own fault for not being able to see. Hattori wrapped himself in every aspect of her life, and she had been so blind to what was really happening. It wasn’t until now she could step back and look at the last half of her life and truly question herself. It hurt deeply staring at ones own flaws, but Venom continued to break herself down. The consolation being that one day she would be rebuilt a much stronger woman. Stronger than she was with Hattori, and stronger than the generation before.

She faced many of her weaknesses, physically and mentally on this trip, and now she stood at Habari’s borders and she confronted the inanimate. The mountain that took her father from her, that started the deep questioning of her upbringing. It became a symbol of Abraxas in her mind. Today she looked to the past, revealing emotions that remained buried for a very long time. As night settled over the wildlands and she lingered at the border she could almost feel the ghosts of the long night return.

Archon never appeared to her, in dream or reality as she claimed they had seen ghosts of the past return to flesh. Part of her wondered if she should accept what Toxicity said that day. That she was the true heretic, and she only used her excuses to cope with the truth. Abraxas no longer held a place in her life. Archon didn’t appear to her because she never sought him out. As she stood there before the mountain she wondered if Abraxas had died in her heart when Archon was swallowed by the volcano.

She hated the thought, but if she was going to conclude her revival she needed to stop lying to herself. There were many uncomfortable truths that raced through her mind as the moon and the stars began to light up the world with the disappearing sun. A necessary step to confront all of her evils if she wished to return to Ashen a more competent and prepared leader. She lost her main pillar of support, but who she thought had been her marble column was nothing more than crumbling ancient bamboo. As reliable as the god she had once believed shared her blood.

Venom stood there on the border quietly, stuck between her deep and terrifying thoughts and the political visit she knew that she owed to her Klein cousin. She did nothing as the moon’s light began to reflect off her silver markings. Volcan tore down her defenses and left her exposed emotionally. She was in no fit shape to meet her peer, and yet the longer she remained the more likely a patrol would find her standing there like a lost wretch.


"Venom"

Recluse did not often do a full patrol of the base of the volcano, it was large and would take up quite a few of her precious hours to walk the whole base besides few enough wolves would dare get too close to the mountain that had erupted so recently in their living memories, it was usually enough for her to walk along the midpoint of the mountain and keep an eye on the treeline below, still, sometimes the borders needed to be more properly maintained and tonight Recluse had decided it was time to do a full proper run of that part of her land. She'd started just as the sun was disappearing below the horizon, she wanted to give herself as much time as she could, still, the moon was peeking well above the distant mountains when she caught her cousin's scent. The woman furrowed her brow, had her cousin finally come for a visit? Recluse took a moment to collect herself, all of the things life had thrown at her flashing through her mind for a moment. Her aunt's moment of crisis, her engagement, her children. Then Recluse steadied herself, she rounded a jutting rock and saw her cousin. "Venom." She called out, her tone was cordial, and though she carried herself with authority she wasn't attempting to challenge her cousin in any way, but she was guarded. "What brings you to my front door?" "Speech" Think

Art by Ulfeid3

Venom wasn’t sure how long she stood there, staring at the mountain that had changed her life forever. Standing there in front of it brought feelings up from the depths of her core that she thought had been gone for so long. Archon had been dead and gone for the majority of her life and yet she still looked back on that day with desperate emotions. Quiet communion left her alone in her own thoughts for a long time. The moon had risen and night had a stranglehold on the lands around her.

And as she predicted, her solitude was not going to last for long.

Recluse herself found her standing there on the border, patrolling as Venom figured. It must hae been very confusing to find Venom standing there on the edge of Habari having not called for the Klein alpha. Recluse greeted her cordially and Venom offered a little bow of her head in return. "Recluse, hello.” She greeted in similar tones. Why was she here, the alpha asked her. "Where do I start.” She hummed softly as her gaze flicked up to the glowing peaks.

"Many reasons, one of them being to see you. Another to have a moment with your volcano.” Venom explained honestly. "A lot has happened, I’ve also been on the search for quiet places to be with my thoughts.”

"Venom"

Recluse listened as her cousin spoke, though Recluse was often pretty self-focused, in fact, most seconds she was awake she was, but being a mother had opened her eyes to the fact that others did indeed have rich inner lives and that she wasn't the center of most wolves universes, so there was a bit of actual consideration for her cousin and the clear conflict she felt. Recluse glanced over her shoulder at her mountain as it was mentioned, but she waited until her cousin was done before she spoke. "Did you want to see it?" She gestured towards the peak of the volcano. "She's not nearly as ornery as you might expect." Recluse would not pry but she'd be lying to if she claimed she wasn't hoping her cousin might open up about what had driven her here. She knew something had happened here before she'd claimed it, something that affected both Deathbelle but also clearly her empress daughter. "Speech" Think

Art by Ulfeid3

Recluse was much more open and inviting than even the Empress could have predicted. Venom was somewhat reclusive despite the inverse of namage. She remained within her borders, for a long time believing that was the best place for her. But the world continued to move and there was more to the world than her pristine white sand beaches. As she explained herself even Recluse was made to look over her shoulder at the looming peaks behind them, but Venom didn’t exactly expect her comment. She realized at that moment Recluse had no idea of the importance of the volcano. Venom had much more understanding now as to why Deathbelle wouldn’t have brought those events up with her niece.

Venom sighed softly, knowing the expression on her features betrayed the turmoil within. "Ornery isn’t the word I would use.” The Empress spoke so softly the words could have been considered only for herself as she made her sunset gaze return to Recluse’s features. "When it erupted…” she explained slowly, choosing her words carefully so she would not reveal the extent of her emotions here. "This was where my father died.” She finally concluded, uncertain if she wanted to accept Recluse’s invitation or not considering the events making this such a hallowed place.

"Venom"

Aaaah, well that was one mystery solved. Recluse kept her face impassive as her cousin spoke, simply nodding slowly at first before she would offer her condolences. "Ah, I am sorry." For the loss of her uncle though Recluse knew he was long gone from the world, and for asking her to visit the site of his death. "I was not aware." That much she assumed was pretty obvious to be honest. She remained silent for a time before speaking again. "The offer will stand if you ever wish to see it up close. It may seem odd to many but its shadow brings me comfort, out there anything can happen but here, here I know where me and the volcano stand, it reminds me to never trust too much, to never get too comfortable." She'd been nearly a child when she'd chosen these lands for herself and then it had seemed a statement of power, of intent, the mountain had erupted so recently in living memory that she was saying how fearless she was. Now, now it was more than that. But her cousin also said she had business and Recluse watched her carefully. "Did you require a few moments more with my mountain?" "Speech" Think

Art by Ulfeid3

Recluse gave her a nod of understanding. She of all wolves could understand the sting of early loss. Venom didn’t know the full story of Recluse’s upbringing but her connection to Deathbelle was plenty of words unspoken. It was quite obvious Recluse was not aware of the place of Archon’s death. She would have figured Belle told her, but it wouldn’t surprise the daughter if her mother had a harder time talking about the departed man.

Venom was slightly surprised when her confession and openness were reciprocated by her cousin. The words struck a dark chord with Venom, and she found herself appreciating the older Klein. The Empress simply nodded at her words despite the way they hit her. This wasn’t the time or place to be losing herself in melancholy and she was glad for Recluse’s words. There was business to attend to. "No.” It was not the mountains she had quarrel with. Nor Recluse.

"I came to let you know that Hattori has left me,” That wasn’t pertinent to Recluse’s alpha career though. "He’s started his own pack within Auster. I have decided to wash my paws of him, but you are free to do as you will without any ire from me.”

"Venom"