No moss was going to grow on the Abraxas in Amon's absence. No, Malleus had every intention of continuing his father's work while he was gone. He would make Amon proud and do the name of the Fallen God justice. It was with these goals in mind that Malleus made his way to a mortal pack. Abaven, to be exact. He'd visited the pack twice now; once with Seth and once on his own when he'd been wounded and in need of assistance. While he hadn't become intimately acquainted with the pack and its members, he'd gleaned enough useful information from it to reach a decision. The pack was small and quiet; the perfect first step in the taking of Boreas. Malleus had been thinking a great deal about what had gone awry with Dragoste. He'd decided finally, that perhaps the mortals here were a bit too soft, too faint-hearted, to handle such a show of force. Many had fled like rabbits; their fearful hearts scattering them across Boreas. To test this theory, and to work off the fear he knew had been instilled by the fall of Dragoste, he'd come to Abaven alone. He summoned Abaven's alpha to the border with a low howl. Today he would test the waters and perhaps if it seemed right, lay the foundation of a takeover.

The call at her border. She didn't know who it came from, but she approached it anyway. When she drew near the caller, her face lit up. It was the male she had helped heal that one time. In a split second, her expression dropped.

That was Malleus Abraxas. He was a member of the family that was taking down packs one after another.

Sparrow took a second to gather her wits. Was this a social call, or an official one? With what Dragon had said, he had befriended some of the Abraxas before. They still took over his pack. They turned and attacked him and his home.

Now Sparrow wasn't sure how to feel.

The small alpha approached the large man. She cleared her throat, finding her mouth unequivocally dry.

"Malleus," she greeted, "Your wounds seem to have healed well."

The air hung thick around them. Her stomach turned. She forced a smile.

"T- to what do I owe this honor?"

He waited without fear; his head held high and his posture proud. The titan was all business. Half the battle was appearance and if there was one thing he was sure of, he cut an impressive figure. The scars down the side of his face, in his opinion, added to his presence instead of detracting from it. He'd been ill when he'd first met Sparrow and she'd been apprehensive around him then. If he'd made her nervous that day, surely now that he was strong and able to stand at her border with his head held high, she'd really be afraid. He hoped, anyway. Perhaps he could cow her into submission without the need for bloodshed. Politely he dipped his head in greeting. "Sparrow." Just because his goal was to take control of this woman's pack didn't mean he couldn't be civil. Friendly, even if he thought that might get him closer to his goal. He smiled softly, then said, "Indeed they have, thanks to you." "T- to what do I owe this honor?" Alright, then. Straight to business. "Am I right in assuming that by now you've heard of my family?" There was a familiar scent that lingered in the air. It was one he'd never forget. During his father's challenge for Dragoste, one man had stood out. One old, cowardly man. He'd never met a man so yellow and gutless and it was for that reason that Malleus remembered him. That man was here now - or at least he had been. With him he'd hopefully brought the Abraxas message.

The man greeted Sparrow, his stature astounding. Something about it made Sparrow initially want to shrink away, but something else- and perhaps it was the alpha endorphins- made her mirror his stance as she stood on her side of the border.

Malleus thanked her for healing him and she nodded once, "It's one of my duties as a self-respecting healer."

Sparrow asked then if she was aware of is family. Again Sparrow nodded.

"I'm aware of their name, a few of their members, and the two packs they took," she said, not hiding the tinge of resentment in her voice as her minty eyes searched his. "Now, I'd like to assume it's not some conquering spree, but as it stands, that's exactly what it seems like. Can you tell me why it's happened? Why your family is doing this?"

She couldn't miss his scent. It was powerful. He ranked high in his pack. Sparrow felt herself stiffening. She felt like this was not just a social call, but she intended on figuring out all she could while they were still on speaking terms.

She knew of them, then. What they'd done and presumably, as the information went hand in hand, how it had been done. Good. The seeds of fear had already been planted. He simply needed to water them with this visit. He noted the way she stood. How she straightened to match him. The height difference between them was comical, but in spirit they were in mirror images of authority. So she had a spine, eh? Interesting. Perhaps her strength came from the pack. That day in the woods she'd been alone and vulnerable. Here, on her turf, all she had to do was call and backup would come running. If that was it, it was only a false sense of security. In the end her people could not save her. They might be able to drive him off for the day, but he'd be back. Malleus studied her for a moment longer before replying. "Because God commands it. He's given us, His descendants, dominion over these lands." He saw no reason to lie. The truth was a noble one. They were doing as their god commanded.

Malleus looked at her with something similar to amusement. She almost wanted to stick her tongue out at him if he wasn't- you know- a giant war beast belonging to a family that had taken down two packs already.

Still, she held her stance. Not because she could call her pack to her, but because she had the responsibility to protect them no matter the cost. She had to, on all official business, take their best interest into consideration. At this time, she needed to stand her ground for them, despite her natural inclination to do otherwise.

As Malleus explained why his family had come, Sparrow struggled to keep her expression neutral. So first he was fighting venom-spitting cats and now he was the descendant of a god? Perhaps he really was mad.

"Which God?" Sparrow asked a little flatly. She had heard of many gods in her journeys. None seemed particularly involved with their followers, yet it was undeniable that this family boasted enormous power. "And what does claiming land do for a god, if I may ask?"

Was it not good enough for a god's people to live alongside the other people of other gods? If they truly claimed all the land, surely they would end up dying out by inbreeding.

Or perhaps this madness was just such an effect.

For now he was content to answer her questions. Perhaps hearing the Abraxas' reasoning behind their mission would convince her to give up without too much of a fight. She needed to look no further than their successful conquests to know the Abraxas were blessed. Two packs had already fallen to them. An alpha was dead. People were scattered. But it didn't have to be that way. Hopefully once they got this Q&A out of the way she would come around and be reasonable. No one needed to die or be displaced. "The Fallen God." He found her next question a bit silly, but he would answer it nonetheless. "I have yet to hear of a god who does not ask for sacrifices. Some ask for rabbits, for dances and chanting, or even for firstborns. Ours asks for conquest. We take over land, over people, and we give them to Him so that we may prosper and that He may be glorified." She knew why he had come. There was really no point in beating around the bush anymore, was there? He stepped closer, toeing the line between them, and paced along it for several steps before turning back and seeking out Sparrow's gaze. "You helped me." He searched her eyes, his whole being straining forward with conviction as he willed her to understand why he was there. "You helped me, a stranger, when you could have kept walking. Now let me help you. It doesn't have to be violent, you know. There needn't be blood." Malleus leaned away from her, seemingly taming the zeal that had briefly overcome him. With some effort he regained his composure. "One way or another, Sparrow, this is happening. And you get to decide how it happens."

Malleus explained his god and Sparrow. She wasn't convinced, but not for his lack of trying or conviction. It was obvious he believed his words and in this situation, that was all that mattered.

He came closer to Sparrow and Sparrow once again fought the urge to shrink away. He nearly seemed crazed as he spoke on helping her. Her eyes narrowed, her ears flicking back only a degree or two. "I should have let you die," she thought, her gaze trying to convey the sharpness and burning heat of her growing hatred for him and his family.

Malleus composed himself. Sparrow forced her hackles to lower. He told her that one way or another this was happening. Sparrow's stomach dropped. She felt her body growing weak with her own fear, but she didn't budge.

"You think," she spat, half out of contempt, half out of an attempt to gather her scrambled thoughts, "that I will just hand over my pack to you? What, then, of my pack mates? My family? Even myself? What do you intend for us?"

If this family truly believed they were gods, Sparrow knew what that would make wolves like her and the rest of the wolves in Abaven.

Her legs shook, there was no doubt. No matter how timid nor how unsure she was, Sparrow didn't intend to back down just yet.

She might have spat venomously at him, but Malleus was confident this approach was working. He was going to take her inability to remain composed as proof that she was malleable. That she felt threatened and vulnerable. That just maybe she was feeling cornered. He could work with that. Those seeds of fear were surely sprouting now. The words were barely out of Sparrow's mouth when Malleus began his reply. The answer was obvious. "I think if you value your life and the lives of your followers, you will. The Abraxas number the stars. We have two packs and countless rogue agents. Our homeland is hemorrhaging Abraxas. Our numbers here grow by the day. I'm sure you've heard of what we've done. The same will be done to you and yours if you don't submit." He paused a moment to search her gaze and suss out the state of her mettle. "If you submit peacefully, this I can promise you: no harm will come to you or your people. We will take Abaven as an outpost, a business hub, if you will. We will use your pack lands as we see fit and you will be free to carry on as you've always done. Some of our people will live among yours, but they will be unobtrusive and under strict orders to be professional." Malleus paused again to gather his thoughts. "If you care at all about the safety of your packmates, Sparrow, you will do this for them. Your pack is small. Weak. Abaven will become part of us and if there is one thing you can count on it is that we take care of our own."

He. Kept. Talking.

Sparrow wanted more than anything to yell at him to shut up. She could only imagine how that would go. Her breathing was getting heavier as her heart rate sped up. She felt the blood flooding her face and ears.

She retained eye contact with him. She wouldn't crumble easily. She was an alpha, she reminded herself. She would handle this professionally or dye trying.

As he spoke, Sparrow- even to her own surprise- found herself considering his words. Her eyes stayed narrowed at him, her nose beginning to wrinkle if only slightly. He was right- in a way. But for Sparrow to give up was underestimating her and her pack's power.

This wasn't a decision she could make herself.

"You say I helped you that day. You say you are helping me now, but I need one more thing," she said, her voice quivering although not even she was sure if it was from fear or anger.

She chose to believe it was anger.

"Give me one day. I want to talk to my pack. If they accept your terms, then I will submit. If not," she said, her green eyes rolling as she sighed, "Then I will face you, alpha to alpha. Shouldn't be a problem for you personally, right?"

Sparrow shifted her weight, trying to swallow her nerves.

"If I talk it over with them, maybe it will be peaceful. If you come in, it definitely won't be," Sparrow explained. "So, since you offered to try to make things peaceful, let me handle this. If I can't, then the agreement is off and we'll handle this as per- what- your usual plan?"

Sparrow shrugged. If it was going to happen sooner or later, then she didn't have anything to lose by asking him to wait a day.

Try as she might to hide it, Sparrow was unraveling. Her peaceful little world was coming apart at the seams and she didn't know what to do - he could see it in the way she moved, in the way her voice shook. How stiffly she held his gaze. It was working. For Abaven sake Malleus hoped she merely bent. The pack didn't have to be broken. They could remain mostly unchanged; all they had to do was let the Abraxas in. For what it was worth, Malleus did mean it. No one had to die or be harmed and they wouldn't have to live like slaves either, although he was still fairly certain Sparrow thought that. It was possible that only time would convince her otherwise, but he truly hoped that wasn't the case. She asked for a day to bring his proposition to the pack. One whole day. His face was stony as he studied her, searching for hidden motives. A lot could happen in a day. From experience he knew a whole pack could disappear. But... That was a risk he was willing to take. Another pack would fall under their rule one way or another. Maybe not today, but certainly tomorrow. It was only a matter of time before they owned it all. "It will not be a problem," he rumbled. A one on one challenge was nothing. He'd been fighting since he could toddle. Per their usual? Whether or not she meant it to be, that line was funny and he had to keep himself from smiling, knowing full well that doing so would undermine everything he'd just said about peace. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He took a deep breath, then said, "Alright, you have one day, Sparrow. If anyone runs before I hear from you again the deal is off." There would be a time for those who were too weak to stomach the presence of the Abraxas to leave, but only once the deal was done. "There will be no challenge, no peace, only war. And your people will lose. Know that we will be watching." With that he turned, intent on trekking further into the adjacent rogue territory. -exit?-