Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Griff soared joyously above him as the sun broke free from the clouds that had brought the Empire a light spring rain. Ashiel strode along below his companion as he headed to the usual meeting place with much on his mind. He had many points he wished to discuss with the pack. The first being pack expansion. They were still fairly small yet but he'd been scouting a few territories and wished to get the discussion started. There was the obvious choice of Wraith's Woods which lay at the western entrance into the canyon and then Cedar Falls which lay to the north. There was a chance that the pack had other suggestions as well.

Ashiel leapt onto a bolder that lay at the north end of a large edge near the base of the canyon. In addition he wished to begin instructing his followers on the Abraxas religion as well as learning it himself. There was much knowledge to be gained and shared. Further there was the need for training. He did not want the pack to get used to resting on its laurels. There would need to be battle training as well as training in the other arts. Mainly, he just needed to see where everyone was at and where everyone wanted to go. He wanted his members to have personal ambitions and he wanted to help them achieve these goals. Tipping his head back gracefully he howled for the Eclipse Empire to assemble.

"Talk"

Posts due April 23!

Razi was careful to be prompt in her arrival, setting off the second the howl met her ears. It was an impressive feat to make it there as one of the first since she'd been just outside the border when she heard Ashiel. Distance was no excuse; it just meant you hurried up and took all the shortcuts you knew and maybe some you'd not tried yet. Skittering down some loose rocks, Razi would leap gracefully down from one narrow path to another as she descended into the canyon, avoiding the switchbacks that ate up far too much time. When the dark woman arrived she would settle herself neatly before Ashiel, offering a light smile that wasn't typical of the normally serious woman. Her time in the eclipse had been enjoyable so far, leaving her in a better than normal mood. Despite the lingering presence of her sisters, she remained upbeat. They were healers so her time spent learning the territories outside the borders kept her from having too many awkward conversations. Giving Ashiel a respectful nod, her head tilted a degree to the right as she spoke, "Hello, Ashiel, I hope you've been well?" the tone sat somewhere between question and statement though with her smooth speech it somehow worked. After the hellos, she'd wait for others to arrive. SPEAK

She was heading back to the canyon with the vary small species of deer in her mouth. She hadn't hunted one of the little deer before, but she found it was somewhat similar to regular deer, just slower. She was just passing the border when Ash's howl rang over the territory. Her tail wagged, the first Eclipse Empire pack meeting she had the opportunity to go to. She was settling in nicely and now she would be able to see and memorize the faces of the other pack members. She knew Ashiel and had met Typhon, but the others she had yet to meet one on one with. She at first had been intimidated, but both Ash and Typhon had seemed to treat her rather well, so she was optimistic about the others. She quickly made her way there excited to see what would be discussed today. When she arrived it was just Ashiel and another familiar face. Zinnia didn't know her name, but she recognized her from the joint meeting with the other empire. Zin's tail wagged again as she closed the distance and sat her kill on the ground. She made sure to give respectable distance between herself and Razi since she was unsure of the women's thoughts on the mortals. She grinned at both of them. "Hello!" she said to the both of them. "Speech" & 'Think'

Czern was rather liking life in the pack, surprisingly enough. He found the Abraxas to be rather... different from what he was used to, though so far Ashiel seemed worthy of his loyalty and that was really all the brute cared to worry about. The rest he could, at the very least, put up with without a fuss. He was mildly intrigued about their beliefs, though not interested enough to ask about it.

He'd settled in another alcove in the wall of the canyon, and was eyeing a small, gerbil-like creature with interest, wondering if he ought to catch it, when a howl rang out. Getting to his paws and effectively startling the creature away, the painted man stretched, sighed, and set off to meet the Alpha's beckoning. He came in after only two others, though that was no great feat since their numbers weren't terribly great at the moment.

Dipping his head to those assembled, he sat closer to Zinnia this time, though not close enough to be uncomfortable since he wasn't particularly close with anyone. That would need to change soon. By way of bridging that gap, he decided to swallow his desire to remain in solitude after the meeting, and turned to the woman with an amiable smile that looked somehow odd on his dark features, "Would you be interested in hunting together eventually? I want to try taking down larger prey soon and I'd enjoy the company. I'm Czernobog, by the way, I don't think we've met." He hoped a little chatter before the meeting began in earnest might be acceptable. After all, it was high time the members started getting familiar with each other.

Typhon honestly hadn't anticipated another pack meeting quite so soon. Perhaps that was why he delayed in responding to Ashiel's call. He was still getting used to life here in the Eclipse Empire, and though that wasn't something he'd use for an excuse, it was true nonetheless. Typhon navigated over the uneven terrain, heading toward his kin's call. He hoped he would forgive him for being slightly late, certain he would only put even more effort into his future participation in the pack to make up for it.

Only a few wolves had arrived thus far, including Ashiel. Only one, Zinnia, was overly familiar to him, and he examined the group quietly. He let his gaze linger for a moment longer on the two he didn't know before loping forward to rest easily at Zinnia's side. He offered a simple nod to Ashiel before reclining to his haunches, ears perking as he awaited whatever this meeting had in store for them all.

© argent 2017

Walk | "Talk" | Think
She was out scouting the barrier lands for herbs only to see what could be available to her if she needed anything immediately and then Ashiel called. She knew the ways of a pack but of course not the way of the Abraxas, but she wasn't entirely knowledgeable about the Risen Empire or that this family spread very far. As Ashiel would learn his own lineage, she would be learning too. It was a whole different world that these relatives lived in, of course she wasn't one to reject anyone's beliefs.

She made her way to the small crowd, a little late but could have been expected from her. Other than being the new member of the pack, she was an ant compared to these Giants and her tiny little paws could only move so fast. She came and sat down on the outskirts of the small group but not too far to draw attention to herself. Now to wait and see why Ashiel had brought them together.

You Made Me A Believer

Dried blood still clung to the fur around her mouth as Pyralis sauntered back into the canyon. She licked her lips, eyes focused on her den site where she just wanted to lay down and take a nap for awhile. Flopping in the shade she was just about to fall asleep when she heard her son's howl. Her left ear flicked. Really? Pyralis stubbornly waited for as long as she felt she could before hauling herself to her paws and lumbering toward the meeting. She'd been traveling the whole night while the whether was cooler and was looking forward to sleeping through the day but it seemed her son had other plans.

Masking her agitation with a smile she strutted into the meeting with her head held high before sitting down next to Razi. She surveyed the members, pleased with what she saw until her eyes rested on Aranea. She snorted. What on earth was that useless, sniveling girl doing in the Eclipse Empire? If Ashiel really meant to build a strong and sturdy foundation she couldn't imagine why he'd allow such a weak link to remain in the pack. She lowered her voice and approached her son. "Ashiel, I ran across that pale, weak little woman some time back. She is a self-deprecating weakling and has no business being a part of the fallen god's plans. What are you thinking?"

ooc:  Thanks for your patience everyone! Due date for posts is May 11

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Lowering his head, Ashiel gazed out at the beating vibrancy of the canyon walls. Everything seemed to be coming to life after the spring rain. Of course, he'd need to plan for the future with summer around the corner. When the dry season came it would be relentless and the river that cut through the canyon would eventually whither to a trickling stream. There was so much whirling around his head he barely knew where to start.

Ashiel found a grin upon his face as Razi arrived. She'd been a boon to him as he navigated the ways of leadership. He still struggled with insecurity but each day he was growing more into his roll. Come the turn of the season he was at last be a full adult. "Well enough Razi, I hope the same goes for you." Razi was followed by Zinnia who greeted them with a cheerful hello. "Good morning, Zinnia, I hope your settling in well." He was very pleased to see one of the Empire's mortal members so prompt.

Czernobog would arrive and Ashiel would greet him with a nod of acknowledgement as the man moved to speak with Zinnia. He caught snippets of the hunters talking and he was pleased to see the man taking the initiative. Czern was followed by Typhon whom Ashiel greeted in a similar manner and then lastly by Aranea. Or, almost lastly. His mother sauntered in and he greeted her with a nod.  Well, that was good he supposed. He didn't really want to have to lecture Pyralis about the merits of attendance. She came up to him and spoke but he didn't let her words phase him. "She's pledged a life debt to Asharya. I would like to at least speak with my sister about this." His mother gave him a doubtful look and he knew what she was thinking. What made him thinking Asharya was going to be coming back? "Besides, she's willing to learn and right now I think I favor humility over brash arrogance. We are descendants of the fallen god, no? Surely we can take her and make her into something greater. Think of this as a little experiment if you will. And if it fails…" Well, he didn't really need to finish the thought. Begrudgingly his mother would take her seat.

Ashiel continued to wait but it seemed this would be it. He frowned a little, making note to talk to the missing members when he had the time. Standing tall and proud he addressed the group. "Thank you all for coming on this beautiful spring morning. I have a three matters to discuss with all of you. First is I want to caution you all around the river that runs through the canyon, especially when it begins to rain. Floods are to be expected, as are mudslides so please be careful."

"Second, I'm considering expanding the pack into a nearby territory. This doesn't necessarily need to be now, I know we're still a bit small but I do plan to eventually. I have narrowed the decision down to two territories, the Wraith's Woods and the Cedar Falls. The Wraith's Woods lies at the only opening to the canyon floor and would be a strategic decision, enabling us to guard the canyon more effectively. However, it is eerie and there are many tales of spirits that circulate about it. Personally I haven't run across any. The stories may ward off potential trespassers. The Cedar Falls lie to the north of here. It is a bit of a climb to reach them directly but I have picked out a few potential paths. The Falls are a rich resource of water which will be useful in the coming heat of summer. There is also an abundant source of prey but also of predators. Bears seem to frequent the area. Does anyone have any opinion on the land they feel we should expand into?"

"Third, I know some of you are aware of the religion of my family and I. I'm willing to instruct those interested in learning of our beliefs, rituals, and traditions. Is there any interest in this? If so I will arrange for the first lesson. Does anyone else have any business they wish to share with the group?"


"Talk"

Walk | "Talk" | Think
Aranea would listen intently to what Ashiel had to say, not even taking note that Pyralis, a woman who she faintly recognized, was nearly at her son's throat about her. Oblivious if anything, she was really only looking down at her paws until the emperor spoke.

"The falls would be a great source of herbs as well. I'm sure we would be able to drive out any predators in time. But I do think the wiser decision would be Wraith's woods only for the reason of it being connected to the canyon. I think protection is a lot greater than supplies, with Cedar falls so close we can just go up for a trip and be cautious for any danger, go in a party if need be." It was the most she had spoke in a long time, like before Abaven long time. Since she bared Tyranis' children she felt like she had no place to speak her opinion but she was trying to over come that ambitiously.

She wasn't even aware that the Abraxas were a thing, let alone they had their own strong beliefs. "Of course I'd be willing to learn." She remained seated looking at no one but Ashiel. She didn't want to look around, she felt like eyes were on her whether they were or they weren't. She wasn't going to find out.

She took a seat to wait for others to arrive and for the meeting to begin. She looked around wanting to take in all the faces that showed up to the meeting, hoping to memorize them so she knew who to find when she was looking to get to know them. "I am Ashiel thank you," she replied with a tail wag. The first to arrive after her was another large man, his size equal to Ash's, his coat dark, his skin scarred, but he didn't look like family of Ash's. The man's coat markings were exotic, looking like he had stolen the pelt of a jaguar to wear. He had fascinating amber eyes and he had come over to sit close to her. Being that almost everyone in the pack was much larger then her she was growing out of being intimidated by it, but respecting their height more and more. He then addressed her and his offer made a smile spread on her face. So he was another hunter of the pack? That was great to know cause now she had someone to go to when she wanted to aim for bigger prey. He introduced himself and she dipped her head lightly in respect. "It's a pleasure to meet you Czernobog and yes I would love to join you in hunting. I've been itching to get experience in the more larger prey of Auster. I'm Zinnia, and no we haven't officially but I did see you at the last joint meeting," she replied to the large man. Her ears caught the dull sounds of another approach and she looked back to catch the familiar sight of Typhon, one she had actually met and spent a little time with. Her tail wagged as he came over and sat on the other side of her, quietly addressing Ash with a nod. She smiled at Typhon in her own quiet greeting to him, honored that he chose to sit close to her. Then a new face joined the gathering group, a women smaller then herself and she looked somewhat skinny and sickly. Zin didn't know that she was the mate of her cousin Ty, nor did she even know she had a cousin Ty. With her not being Abraxas, Zin would make it a task to meet with her and get to know her. Then Finally Pryalis arrived another Abraxas she had met at her time here. She was Ash's mother and seemed to have some sort of concern that she approached him before the meeting started. It was short lived as she backed off and took her seat and Ash began to speak. Zinnia's ears were pointed towards him taking in every word that was said. He started with a warning about the river and she would be sure to stay away from the river during these times. She didn't need to get swept away or killed for being to close to the river. He then explained about expending and taking on another territory. He explained the two territories he was thinking about and she listened and mentally digested the two spots. To her the woods sounded like the best option with it being right at the end of their canyon. Yes the whole lore of spirits didn't sound to nice, but Ash had not run across any so why wouldn't it be a good spot. He then mentioned about teaching the Abraxas religion and her tail began to wag lightly. She had been patiently waiting for this opportunity to learn about their culture. She was still more then willing to learn everything she could and was excited to learn. Her gaze turned back to the new member, the smaller women as she spoke up. She then looked back to Ashiel. "I agree I think Wraith's Woods would be the best option since it's at the end of the canyon. And I still am interested in learning your religion," she replied with a smile. "Speech" & 'Think'

Ashiel replied and Razi shrugged noncommittally, "Well as I can hope for." Really, she was itching to do something more productive. Perhaps she'd ask Pyralis to go on some adventures with her, since that would probably please her to no end and Razi could stand to do at least a little bonding with her older siblings. Best not to remain on the fringes forever, especially not with a higher rank.

The chit chat between the man named Czernobog and the woman named Zinnia was nice to hear. That was what pack wolves ought to do; get to know one another and work together willingly. If more of that started happening there'd be a good future ahead of the Eclipse's members.

Once Ashiel got things moving she would listen attentively to all he said. She'd make sure to watch herself around the river, though she cast a sly glance towards Pyralis, knowing some of her kin might be a little risk prone. Not that Razi thought the woman couldn't handle herself; she'd survived her own proclivities this long, she must be blessed by the Fallen god or something. At the mention of expansion Razi straightened, visibly interested. After listening to the other two women's responses, Razi would mull over her own thoughts for a moment before contributing to the discussion.

"I think I must agree. Access is important, and if we claim the Wraiths Woods we'll have an easier path from there to the Falls for herb gathering trips. There is a small body of water within the Wraiths woods, though if I were to play devil's advocate, I'd say Cedar Falls' merit would lie in having a more reliable water source. It also has some harder to find herbs that do not grow in the Wraiths Woods, though I'm not sure if they're valuable enough to claim the land for them. Prey-wise the lands aren't too different. In the end I'd still say we shouldn't claim the Falls."

She needn't comment on most of the last bit, being one who was raised in the ways of the Abraxas. She did, however, have one thing to add, "Yes, I was wanting to mention, I'm contemplating leading a little outing for those interested in exploring and navigation, as well as one for members to spend some time bonding outside the borders for those interested. Let me know if that's something any of you would like to participate it. Oh, and while that will be optional I'd like to discuss some more serious, mandatory training with you, Ashiel."

The woman acknowledged hi with a dip of her head before replying. His tail swatted the ground a couple times and a smile that reached his golden eyes would fix itself upon his visage. "It is good to meet you Zinnia, we should certainly go looking for big game soon, then. It will be good to hunt more challenging things." He'd like the chance to do more serious hunts with a consistent partner in the pack. They could feed everyone and get to know one another, both of which Czern would be excited for.

After others trickled in and the meeting was seemingly full of all those who would sow, then Ashiel would begin. He took the warning in stride, making a mental note for later, but focused more when discussion of the lands Ashiel was considering claiming were brought up. "The woods sound preferable," he began, humming softly for a moment before adding, "I would be happy to personally attend trips to the Cedar Falls for herbs if there are ones we need there. I also think maybe it would be possible, if the water coming of the falls comes near enough, to divert some of it to the canyon if there is ever a need. It if not common but I have seen wolves add paths to rivers when they need water somewhere specific." he shrugged, unsure if it was something they'd necessarily need, but if they did he'd enjoy the chance to show them what he meant.

To Ashiel's finishing questions, Czernobog would nod and say, "I would be happy to learn of your ways." there wasn't a lot more to add. To Razi, as she spoke up, he'd reply, "Time out as a group sounds worthwhile." he was no adventurer, even if he did like exploring here and there when he was in the mood.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World

Ashiel listened attentively to the members that spoke and voiced their opinions, nodding respectfully to each as they finished their piece. He grinned. "Thank you for speaking. The Wraith's Woods then, shall be ours! Feel free to start marking its borders." He would plan to make his own rounds as well to secure and finalize the move into the new territory. His ears perked at the suggestion from Razi and he nodded. "That sounds like a splendid idea Razi and of course, you always have my ears. I will confer with my mother on a few of our tales and stories. Perhaps, if you'll all humor me I can relay them to you on our travels." There were a few stories his mother had told him of his families great deeds. There were others that his companion, Griff knew and he was so excited to share them he didn't quite know where to begin.

"I believe that is all I have. Thank you all for coming, this meeting is adjourned." He moved over to Razi. "You wished to speak with me?"

"Talk"

Posts due April 23!