He made his way north, looking for those that might support him. It was an easy journey for him to make but he took his time. Currently his one eyed gaze watched over this battlefield, scanning the darkness as dawn approached for either prey or potential friend. He reclined upon the form of a metal machine, he didn't know what to call it but the growth of plants were starting to claim it as part of the land. It was a dark green and had a long hallowed pole pointing off it. It's ledges made a nice throne for him for now.

He had a lot of work to do until he could take down his coward brother, but he was sure it would come in due time. Forsaken was proving tricky to find but he supposed that was a good thing. After all if he couldn't hide what use was he to Rikeros? Or even to Enigma? He was sure he would put either Paradox or Enigma in the place of his equal. It would keep them from growing a hatred for him. He'd make sure the other held a council position but he still had no clue about forsaken. Plus he still needed to think about finding a woman to secure his legacy. If he had to enslave her then so be it, but find one he would. He had thought about looking to paradox and enigma for on-site on where to look but he doubted they wanted to help much. They were only in this so they could tear ganta limb from limb. Gantaxs woman would die as well and his children if they were lucky would be taken in by one of the Hellstroms and taught their ways.

His tail flicked as he delved into his thoughts. His eye continued to scan though.

It had been a while since his last visit to the plateau, but it was a place he quite enjoyed. It was quiet and rustic, and there were things to be found and seen that were particularly unusual. Not to mention at its highest point, one could see far across the rolling Buffalo Knolls, and well into the Range and Orchard - it was easy to monitor prey from here, as well as spot other traveling wolves. However, in the darkness of pre-dawn, there was little to be looked upon, although he knew the sun would soon make its appearance. Xephyris almost always rose before dawn, ever thoughtful of his next move. He would plan out his day so that he was most productive, hating to waste time when there was much to be done. Not that the life of a loner called for much, but keeping himself busy prevented him from thinking about the past, longing for past friends, lovers and regretting his failures as a father. He hadn't seen his daughters for nearly a year now, but he didn't want to think about it at all. Much as he tried to keep his mind busy, he was certainly taken by surprise when he spotted a familiar-looking wolf perched upon one of the many strange, metallic constructions found in this land. He clacked at himself, displeased with having been preoccupied with thoughts that were of no use to him. However, he was easily drawn away from those thoughts as he came nearer to the wolf, noticing the light-coloured coat and red markings. Suddenly he began to feel like he was seeing a ghost. "Sin?" he questioned, his deep tone rumbling as he squinted to try to see clearer. Perhaps in better light he would have noticed the differences between this wolf and the infamous Sin, but from where he stood, the brute in front of him appeared to be the real thing. But it couldn't be. Was he going crazy? Who was this? "Talk" "You" Think

His waiting awarded him with the sight of another. An older male from the looks of things. His golden eye settled upon his approach. The missing eye was held open, probably leaving a haunting view into his past. He couldn't remember this male but his memories of home had been clouded by memories of torture. His tongue passed over the missing tooth's place as he gave it a thought of who this male was. His ears pressed forward as the male let a name slip. It caused him to break the silence he had with a deep guttural laugh. "Wrong, but go ahead, make my day guess each name and see how you are wrong every fucking time." he didn't need to sit up to view this male. He had the high ground.

This fool must of been daft to think him his father. Sin wasn't near as dark, and his old age would of left him frail, almost so frail he wouldn't of mounted this perch. He wasn't recruiting idiots so he would wait and see if this fool knew better than to play a guessing game today. Rikeros was no longer any Hellstrom he would likely remember.

Ooc: sry it's so short

The abrupt sound of the younger male's guttural laughter set Xephyris on edge, more than he was already staring at what appeared to be a ghost. Then his abrasive voice came forth, causing Xeph's scarred muzzle to wrinkle up, stained fangs showing under black lips. However, he wasn't going to dignify that arrogance with a response - not yet. Not until he was on even ground with the brute. He wasn't going to let the brat stare him down from a high perch like this. He swiftly circled 'round the metal structure, muscles coiling in his hind legs before he sprung up onto its upper surface. He shifted his position so that he was facing the young man, his head lifted just above his shoulders, chin tipped downward in a defensive posture. Obviously this man was one of Sin's kin, a son perhaps, and knowing their bloodline, they were a hostile lot. Xephyris wouldn't trust him not to attack at the drop of a hat. Now that he was getting a good look at the other male, silver eyes narrowed as he scanned the brute more closely, he was beginning to recognize him, although he hadn't seen any of Sin's younger brood since they'd been quite young. He quickly thought over both of Sin's mates, and the offspring they'd produced - several names and faces came to him easily. Remaining silent for a moment, he pictured the dove-gray pup with yellow topaz eyes, and the name soon entered his mind as well. "Draven," he growled, eyeing the brute, "You're as smug and presumptuous as your older brother. I wonder if you're just as foolish." He was pushing the male on purpose, seeing if he was as mindless and easy to anger as Enigma. Xephyris had a temper of his own, but he could keep his cool when he needed to - yet he also knew when he could put another wolf in his place, and he wasn't afraid to size up to larger opponents. His large paws were well-grounded as he watched the other, already placing himself into a fighter's stance as he waited to see what the other would do or say. "Talk" "You" Think

The man came to stand on even ground and it had his hackles raising defensively. His lips peeled back, a warning for the man in his golden eye. If he came much closer he'd be loosing a vital part of his body. Riker wasn't exactly fond of too many at the moment. He lifted himself up and angled his chin, his scars on full display as he watched the man. Call it what you likes but Rikeros caged the weak innocent Draven a long time ago to shield him from harm. The male naming his past self sent a snort out of him. What was it with wolves of the past trying to call him that name? He answered quickly "Wrong old man, Draven died long ago when he was left helpless and defenseless in the pits of hell. Though if you'd think my father alive I'd guess you wouldn't know the split of our family thanks to those fucking Adrevendis and imperialis bitches." he eyes the man with a hardened and deadly gaze. He was done if this old fool wouldn't get it. He was no Hellstrom he would know or remember. He stood then and turn before bounding down the metallic contraption.

He didn't have all day to play with this man. He was old and not quite the warrior Rikeros was looking for. If this male had been part of the original Hellstrom the invitation would sit with a few short words to him. "Should you find yourself allied with those aforementioned then stay out of my way, but should you find your alligence with the Hellstrom ways, know it will rise once more.... serve under me and mine and we may find allegiance with one another." he then moved forward. Eyes ahead and body ready should the male pursue him.

Ooc: he can still walk with him and talk with him if u want shadowed Riker just dun wanna sit still too long <3

It irked him when the younger male called him "old man", but he would simply narrow his eyes and clench his jaws, saying nothing in response to the remark. Instead, his ears perked forward to grasp at some interesting new information - he wasn't exactly sure what Rikeros meant by his statement, but judging by the heavy scarring and aggressive demeanor, something had happened to him that had changed him deeply after his family had split. Xephyris nodded as he listened. He knew what had happened to the Hellstroms. He'd once been deeply involved with them. He'd once been on their side, fighting for them to help form the kingdom that Sin had built up from the ground. But he had never understood the bad blood between the Hellstroms and the Adravendis, or at least Adrian and her next of kin. Those Imperium bastards, and Abaven? Sure, he got it. They'd sieged Hellstrom's home when Draven and all of his siblings had been mere balls of fluff. They'd left the family injured, split up, and ultimately without any security or a place to call home. But Xephyris had been a friend to Arian long before Sin had come along. Xephyris was a man drawn to power and he had a thirst for battle which had led him to follow Sin, but that had never caused him to sever his bond to Arian, and to the woman's son. When Hellstrom fell and no one came looking for him, he'd moved on, and Enigma had declared him a traitor for reasons Xephyris had never understood. The gray-coated man blinked silver eyes as he brought himself away from thoughts of the past and back to the present. The younger man in front of him had ended his sentence, and a silence fell between them. That was when Xephyris spoke. "I know exactly what happened, and that Sin is long dead," he replied, his voice stony and eyes void of emotion, "But my eyes deceived me when I spotted you. I see now the darkness of your coat, but in this dim morning light, you're a spitting image of the man I once followed." His words were chosen purposefully, spoken carefully, in order to elicit some sort of reaction, and he was curious to see how Rikeros would respond to the knowledge that this stranger had once followed his father. His jaws closed, and he listened once more as the other spoke. He didn't have to think long to realize he no longer had any alliances in Boreas. He had never been allied to the Adravendis as a whole, only to Arian and her kin. However, he knew none of them now. He hadn't seen Rivaxorus in many seasons, nor any of the boy's siblings. They must have moved on. That left Xephyris completely on his own. He hadn't even seen his own daughters, nor any of the women he'd used to enjoy the company of, in so long it was obvious now that he would not see them again... It left him feeling gutted, but in front of this man, nothing would show on Xeph's face. Just a hardened resolution. He had no reason to trust Rikeros, nor any reason to follow him. Yet, he had no reason not to follow him, either. Except for Enigma. If the Hellstrom man had anything to do with the resurrection Rikeros spoke of, then Xephyris expected there would be no way he could offer himself to this cause anyways. However, with nowhere to be for the time being, Xephyris would silently move along behind Rikeros, once the younger man had created some space between them. For a while he said nothing. There was nothing of importance for him to mention, and his mind went over their interaction thus far. It seemed this brute was somewhat cooler-tempered than his sibling, and this made Xephyris curious. Rikeros didn't seem to have time to waste responding to a meaningless insult, something that might have thrown Enigma into a fit of rage. Aggression could make a wolf powerful and able to strike fear into anyone around him, but to be set off by the smallest of triggers was a waste of valuable energy and time. Xeph paced himself so that he came to the much larger brute's side, with several feet of space between them. "I have no allegiances of the sort," he began, his voice a low rumble, "But I was a part of Hellstrom's past... perhaps I am meant to be a part of it's future as well." He didn't really believe in fate, but maybe there was a reason he'd met Sin's spawn today. What else would he do, if he did not lend himself to some cause? He was otherwise just an aging loner, and his existence would never go noticed one way or another if he continued this way. If he died tomorrow, nobody would know or care. But perhaps if he was a part of something bigger than himself, he might at least die for a purpose. He wasn't settled in his decision yet, nor did he know if the decision was for him to make, but he was beginning to consider it. Time would tell, and he would go quiet once more, ears tilting toward the other male as he waited to hear if he would say anything. "Talk" "You" Think

He eyed the man as he spoke of him following his father. He couldn't say he remembered him but then again he didn't remember too many of his father's men. He kept his face placid enough but his eye was cold and calculating. He figured if this man knew sin and had supported him he would of course support any empire like Hellstrom. He gave a nod finally, his mind made up. He would share his vision with the man and eventually see what he thought.

He padded on. He kept his pace even with the older man, even slowing his longer limbs to help the pace stay slow. He did ensure the man was on his good side though, more out of habit than anything. He hated letting any walk on his blind side that he wasn't kin too. Blood was thick enough with most of his kin that he wouldn't get attacked from that side. It was probably obvious by the way the fur along his back stood slightly that it was all habit from his past. He'd been hurt too many times to fully trust another and it likely showed if one knew where to look and whatever were looking for.

The males statement of alliances and perhaps aiding Riker earned him a smirk. "Then I would guess now I tell you my vision of the future for those of my kin and those I consider my packmates. We will be resurrecting a Hellstrom others will know and fear. I intend to use my father's vision though I'll be adding my own sorts of twists. Slaves will be kept personal unless the enslave does not want them, then they will become communal and of course mine. They may be sold to the highest bidder or traded as I see fit. To become a slave one must cross either me or those of the pack, so yes even your packmates may become slaves, though I highly discourage you intentionally creating a situation so you may claim a pack mate as such." these were the simple things. He was certain this male would grasp the concept of those things. He left the threat of the man becoming a slave by making trouble for him off, certain he would understand. He let a silence hang so the male could keep up and ask questions if needed, though he despised having to reiterate something.

After he was certain the mal had those concepts he continued on. "Mating rules are simple as well. I don't care about your business but should you be found to be breeding with slaves or raping others, you will be castrated and enslaved for life, if not simply killed. You are not to breed with slaves as this could create a feeling of being better than they truly are in them, though in the event that you wish to, seek my council first. Pups that result from a slave will gain the rank of slave unless I have permitted a breeding between a slave and higher ranking member, in which case their rank will be for the higher ranking member to decide, the slave parent will be given no opportunity to raise them past weaning should they become anything other than slave." he gave a pause there and watched the man's reaction. This was a crucial thing to see to him. Should he understand or not was a determining factor for Riker. He'd wait then to see how many questions the man had. Golden eye watched while he walked, towards the battle field where he would likely try to meet other loners out for his sort of fun.

Ooc: breaking down everything into a few posts sry <3

Xephyris was aware of how Rikeros purposely kept him on the side where his good eye could still view him. Obviously he felt vulnerable from his blind side and Xeph couldn't blame him. As they walked along slowly, the younger man explained his vision. He nodded along in understanding. He was beginning to see what kind of man the other was, although the desire to hold slaves didn't say everything about Riker. The fact that he also did not allow rape was show of a different set of values. Xephyris nodded. He could agree to these terms. He was a bit of a romantic, but he could avoid slaves and he could never bring himself to force a woman. He would have them on mutual grounds or not at all. "Interesting," he murmured, "What more can you tell me?" He wanted to hear it all. What were his grand plans? What sort of face would the Hellstroms put in when they faced the world? How would their pack compare to others? "Talk" "You" Think