Elias would wait for Vale to find his footing for some time, still standing beside him tall and strong despite his own wounds. He would be there to support his weight if he needed, Elias had been through far worse than the healing cougar marks on his side and his freshly administered incision on his foreleg. Once Vale was upright, he led him up into the mountains and away from the volcano, toward the Citadel of Ruina crafted in the side of the Maw. Once they approached the grand entrance of it along the mountain pass, Elias kept moving- leading Vale even further toward a series of smaller dens. A pack once resided here, the marks of wolves still in some of the stone and soil that structured these homes- though they had been gone for more than a few years. Whatever their reason was for leaving, Elias claimed these homes for Ruina now.

"Vale," he led him into the few homes large enough to seem suitable for the brute of a man.

"Rest here for the night, Zuriel and I will be right around the corner- though I haven't seen much up here in these mountains other than goats and birds. I believe you will be able to heal in peace. I need you to rest well, I will bring you food in the morning while I sanction our borders, so do not worry about that. There are duties I need your help with as soon as you are healed."

He was worried about Vale's health first and foremost, but for a moment, his rubies glistened as he looked over Vale's features and stared into the candle-lit tomb doors that were Vale's eyes. Could he trust this man to to take Elias' secrets to the grave and to trust in his intentions? Elias was looking for someone to run with him, side by side. His attachment and understanding of Vale happened so quickly that it simply felt like the work of fate, much like his attachment to Zuriel. Was this the next Cerberus, was that why they shared this bond? These were questions on his mind that he kept to himself, knowing there was no way to know just yet. Elias would take his time trying to discover this, and guide this man along many paths before either of them truly knew the answer.

Vale was surprised that Elias wanted to speak to him in private. Was there something that the brute knew that no one else had? Still, creature followed behind Elias, refusing his help, of course. A few times on their walk to these dens, Vale caught himself leaning on the Apollyon for some support, but he quickly corrected himself. He'd been saved by the man too many times to come off as helpless now. The man observed the walls, noting the remains of whatever pack resided here before. It seemed like such a perfect place for their pack to reside. With dens not far off from the volcano. It would be rare for them to have any trespassers, and those who dared were foolish. They would surely be handled accordingly, whether by Elias or Vale's own paws. There was something new about Vale, was this pride? Vale had never been the prideful type, as he was so indifferent. This new feeling was overwhelming. He was proud of what Elias was going to bring with this pack and proud to be a part of it.

Vale couldn't help but grunt as the man spoke of his healing. He knew it was true, that he needed to heal, but he still didn't want to admit that. Vale wanted to be capable, show his usefulness. However, the brute knew better by now than to argue with Elias. He seemed to have plans for Vale, and the man was eager to hear what his duties would be once he was up and moving. "What are the duties you have in mind?" Vale let his rump hit the earth with a thud, relieving some of the weight he'd been carrying. The man was growing much more tired, but he was determined to save some of his energy for this conversation. Honestly, he was ready to take on whatever Elias had in mind for him now, but it seemed like Elias wasn't letting him out of his sight until he was healed.

He could feel the bond they shared still, and it only seemed to be stronger since the ritual. Perhaps there was more truth behind this lore that Elias spoke of than Vale had originally considered. Were these duties supposed to be some kind of test? If that was the case, Vale was sure that he would pass them. Only proving their bond and giving Elias a reason to trust him more. The man already trusted the Apollyon with his life, he wanted to prove that his alpha could do the same.

"Talk."

He watched Vale carefully, studying his fatigue and keeping a close eye on him. If he showed any signs of not being able to handle this conversation at the moment, Elias would leave him in peace to rest whether he liked it or not. He paid attention to the color of Vale's gums when he spoke, they were still pale from his bloodloss but not sheer white. He sighed and continued to think.

His first plans for the man that would throw him straight into the darker reality that was part of Ruina culture. If the blood oath had not been foreboding enough, the tasks Elias had in mind for his new friend soon would. Would Vale follow him, challenge him, or perhaps even hate him for these things? The new alpha was determined to discover his answer.

"Dommiel is the rank I bestowed upon you in front of my family, it is the rank of our warriors. You are, indeed, a warrior.. however the duties and your true title, unknown to the rest of the pack- for now, will be the duties of The Shepherd. The Shepherd is an elite rank within Ruina, though I could not say this in front of my family... I do not believe they are ready to know what it means to be oathed to the blood of Ruina just yet." He paused for a moment, his voice low and quiet though very eerily serious. He would attempt to read any disapproval on Vale's features before continuing. Could he handle the secrets?

"The Shepherd cares for Ruina's slaves, we call them Lambs. They are our accumulated souls that we have forcibly claimed to continue our service to the demons that empower us. We offer them in Autumn to sate our demons before the harsh season of Winter drives them mad from starvation." Now that Vale had settled down, Elias did the same- retiring his weight completely to lay across the cool soil of the den while he continued informing him.

"Demons are very hungry entities, they require.. many souls to be sated. Every year, Winter especially provokes these demons even more than usual. You and I both know how.. bad it is.. when these demons go unsatisified. The demons of Ruina, the demons in us, crave power and souls are their power. Wolves were created to feed them, that is why we are drawn to one another to combine our strength and conquer more. Ruina is a Kingdom of the Underworld that has been tied to my bloodline since the original Apollyon, the demon who crafted and embodied the very first wolf. He had red eyes and red fur, and brought to life the pack of Ruina alongside his lesser demons in their own wolf bodies. They conquered all that they came across and claimed it for their own, and Apollyon led these wolves for centuries through the blood of the original wolf he had created- the blood of my blood. Many souls were drawn to his power and would come to willingly join him, but most are devoured and claimed. He followed my family very closely, granting us with incredible strength for the price of the irresistible urge to kill for the strength of Ruina, whether we are aware of it or not." He paused for a moment, ensuring that Vale was still listening and was not getting too tired. He had yet to reveal what their plans were as soon as the man was healed, but there was a heavy weight on that request. His ear flicked as he thought of the possible reactions that could come from Vale.

Vale focused on Elias as the man spoke, curious to know why it was such a secret, and why he felt his family couldn't handle this information just yet. However, Vale had learned early on in their relationship that there was a method to his madness. So for now, the brute would keep his questions to himself. He spoke of the demons again and the man couldn't help but flinch. He'd been too distracted to realize that's where their bond originated, their shared demons. As much as Vale was getting from this, souls were the way to please the demons. He'd wondered why the dark creatures inhabiting his mind were so fixated on destroying. They were cruel and bloodthirsty, even when Vale was ready to give in to their desires, they still wanted more. Never satisfied with a simple hunt or creature of prey. His family's traditions were starting to make sense to him now, sounding less like nonsense.

He spoke of their origin and the reasoning behind what his family has done. He'd wait patiently, a rare thing sight for Vale, for Elias to finish before bombarding him with his own questions. "So you want me to bring back souls to satisfy the demons?" Winter was approaching, so if he was going to collect souls, he would need to move fast. There would be no time to heal, Vale knew the demons would want more than just a few souls. "Is there any other plans you had in mind?" Elias seemed to be holding something back from him. The beast wasn't going to wait to hear what Elias had to say, he wanted everything laid out on the table now. Hell, the man had almost died for him and this pack. The least he could give him was his own intentions.

He slid further to the ground, letting all of the excess weight he was carrying be relieved. He wasn't tired, it was simply the pressure of his own weight felt like it was making his injuries worse. He wouldn't admit it, but perhaps Elias was right about needing to heal. At least give himself another day or so before he went running around capturing people. Too much exertion and Elias might not find him in time. It would be a shame to let his own foolishness get in the way of these new duties. It would probably only prove to Elias that Vale couldn't be trusted, which was not what the brute wanted at all. "I'll do what you need of me, I'd just like to be aware of your intentions. Why you chose me to carry these out for you. Not that I don't appreciate the work." In fact, Vale was excited to have something to get him out of his mind, or maybe even the opportunity to learn to control his own demons.

"Talk."

'So you want me to bring back souls to satisfy the demons?' Elias glanced around for a second, considering this question before offering a single nod.

"Yes, but also keep a careful eye on the souls we collect throughout the year. Not every Lamb remains a Lamb, some need to be trained. Some learn that Ruina is their true home, some do not. The ones that do not are the ones we cull." He reiterated the importance of this, to let Vale know that capturing souls was not the only duty. Souls required care, they required building.. the stronger a wolf mentally and physically, the stronger their soul.

"My intentions for you, Vale, are very close to the intentions I have for myself. I want you to learn to listen to your demons and learn to keep them satisfied so that they may empower you rather than control you. There is a difference, and it took me the first three years of my life to truly understand this difference. I used to loathe them, I used to have trouble understanding why a good man like my father even served demons like this. It is hard to understand when you feel so out of control of your own self, but now, I understand." He paused for a moment, watching Vale very closely.

"As I said, Autumn is the season of reaping within Ruina. We hold a festival known as Servus Meti near the end of Autumn, that is where we prep the souls we have collected and offer them ceremoniously to our demons, it is a very deep ritual- I remember the feeling of their power in the air strong enough that you could taste it. I'm not sure if we will be able to hold it this year, but I want to celebrate it alone.. with you." He didn't move for a moment, thinking internally.

"I need you to trust me. I know it seems like I am asking you to hold a lot of secrets, but my children and I have been apart for their entire lives. I do not know how they will react, and I need to tell Zuriel first and foremost, she is not even aware yet what is in store for her as The Demon Mother." He flicked an ear, trying his best to hide the anxiety that surrounded him around that thought. He wanted her to stay, but could she handle it all?

"However, I do not have time to idle while I work on warming them up to all of this. That is why I am trusting you, and I think that is the intentions our demons had for us ever since they led us to one another. I do not think it is a coincidence that we met in Autumn, I do not think it is a coincidence that we had to fight for our lives together. None of what is going on here do I believe is a coincidence. I think you were meant to be here, beside me, running with these Ruina wolves and showing them how to serve their demons." He did not want to tell him his plans for making him The Cerberus just yet, but he hoped this was a big enough hint that he had his eye on Vale to see if he was worthy enough to be at the top, right beside him.

Vale could feel himself slipping out of consciousness but he knew he had to try to stay awake. He listened, trying to retain as much as Elias was saying as he possibly could. However, as the man further explained things, Vale knew he was going to be out soon. "I can do it for you Elias." He managed before his eyes began closing, shutting out any of the remaining light of day. It had all just become too much for him. With the blood loss and the traveling, the man needed some rest. It just so happened Elias' talk was interrupting that. He would have to apologize for dozing off once he woke, but for now, his slumber took complete control over him. He wasn't completely asleep but exhausted enough that he could no longer force his eyes open. The beast instinctively rolled over, his back to the den entrance. His body's way of keeping any remaining daylight from disturbing his sleep. As he began to dream, he could see himself running with shadowy figures, Elias beside him. His own creation of the demons Elias had been teaching him of. Even in his sleep, the mission burned into his mind, collect souls for Ruina. Male hadn't really been awake enough to realize that there were certain souls he was supposed to find, as far as he knew a soul was a soul.

"Talk."