Got a key to the city and a street in my name
The soil turned from the warm hues of the canyon rock to a dark, almost inky color. It smelled fo sulfur, and as she walked cracks in the ground on either side of her sent jets of hot steam up from whatever depths lie below. A different sort of place from those she was used to, but interesting enough to press on if only because she could smell something curious ahead; the smell of water. Here of all places.
![[Image: r4X4w1S.png?1]](https://i.imgur.com/r4X4w1S.png?1)
Paws traveled across this new land with caution, not quite familiar with what dangers could lie ahead. These new lands came with such strange weather too; where Serene had grown up, winter would have taken over by now, instead she walked in a dry heat, without a cloud in the sky. It was a strange feeling, but one she figured she would have to get used to eventually. Today's adventures had brought her out to a peak she witnessed on her second trip down to these lands. The earth beneath her paws turned to an unsettling dark color, as if the life was drained from it, and the odor that swept through the air invaded her nose and caused it to cringe. What was this place? Why was it like this? She wanted to know the answers to these questions so badly, hoping maybe some local wolves would be able to tell her. That's when her amber gaze caught site of another traveling up the length of the steaming rocks.
Curious as ever, the fawn woman careful scaled up the cracks, tip-toeing around the steams in hopes to not burn her fur off. Once she thought she was close enough, she called out to the stranger. "Excuse me! Pardon me, but do you happen to be from around here?" Perhaps it was too much to ask of a stranger, but if she knew what this was and why the earth around it was so dark, then maybe it would put Serene's curiosity to rest. Though her mind did jump to one conclusion; perhaps this land had been home to Sister Death, and that was why it seemed to lack the touch of Mother Life. If that was the case, Serene feared what might lurk beneath her paws, or what she might find up ahead.
"Speech"
"I am; I live in a nearby pack. Was there something you needed?" she asked, with a soft smile and a gentle wag of her tail. The only reason she didn't unabashedly manage to drop her family name and the name of the empire was that she was still trying to fully settle on the new name she'd give it. If by some miracle she managed to recruit someone, it would be a bit odd to have them learn one name and then have to get used to another soon after. Maybe she was over thinking things, though.
The beautiful woman was from around this area, and that was a relief to Serene. She desperately wanted her questions answered, and having a local to ask the would be her best chance at having those answers. Her amber gaze looked back up to the blackened earth, still uneasy about the appearance it took. There was a difference between a place that was uninhabitable and a place that had no life; a desert was difficult to survive in, but life still lived in the earth, whereas this earth had no life in it. She wanted to know why. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you knew why this Earth looked like this? So lifeless..." Serene felt a chill over her back as she thought of possible reasons why. But for the most part she was certain that this Earth had been, at the very least, touched my Sister Death and thereby stripped of the life in it. But for what reason? What was so special about this place that a Goddess would take the time to destroy it?
It didn't make any more sense to the fawn woman now as it did when she first saw it. But now there was someone here who could shed a little light on the subject and for that she was grateful. Suddenly remembering her manners, Serene smiled with a slight sway of her tail. "Oh, where are my manners. I'm Serene, by the way." It would be only fair to offer up information in return for the one she was asking for. While Serene may not have been out in this world for very long, she was certain that this was something other wolves did often, and she wanted to do it right. Besides, this woman seemed pleasant enough, no real sign of hostility or anger for Serene's intrusion on her features. The only unsettling thing she felt at this very moment was the land she stood on, and that was not a feeling she quite cared for.
"Speech"
Ah, so she wanted to know what made this place like this? Wasn't often she met a wolf who didn't know the destruction of a volcano when they saw it. "I do, it is the result of the activity of a volcano, a sort of mountain that brews liquid fire beneath it's surface." The fire mountains sure did leave a desolate landscape behind, didn't they?
"Nice to meet you Serene, I'm Razi Abraxas," she replied with a dip of her head. Glancing back to the blackened earth around them, a small smile played at her lips as she added, "It's a good thing the volcano here doesn't seem to be terribly active anymore. I live a bit close for comfort, wouldn't want it spitting lava at my den." Especially not with some very small children in there.
After a moment Razi would beckon the woman to walk with her so she could press on in the direction of the water she'd smelled. Occasionally she could spot a blade or two of grass poking up from the dark rock as that was always the first plant to brave unforgiving terrain. It was also basically the only one she could see anywhere so far. "You know, from what I've heard the reason that a volcano spits it's lava is because too much lava and steam build up beneath the surface until it explodes out. Ash and smoke fill the air for miles, making the air unbreathable and the nearby lands uninhabitable. The lava hardens after a while and turns into the stuff we're walking on."
The dark woman began to explain the workings of a volcano to Serene, how liquid fire bubbled beneath the surface of the mountain their currently stood on. It made sense now why the fawn woman felt so uneasy standing on these lands. Death cooked below their very paws, so why did it seem that this stranger did not share her worries? Then her name popped into the conversation, Razi Abraxas, and Serene's ears perked at the familiar sound. "Abraxas? You wouldn't happen to be related to Malleus then, would you?" What would be the chances that Serene would end up walking into one of Malleus's relatives on this day? Either it was true and there were many of them in this world, or perhaps they just roamed the same area, making them seem rather large in numbers. Either way, she would be impressed if it was true.
Suddenly Miss Razi was moving on, pressing forward up the mountain to whatever laid on top. Intrigued beyond doubt, Serene would follow after her, tan paws sinking into blackened earth as they climb higher and higher. She would listen intently as the tale of how a volcano destroys the land began to flow from the other woman's lips. It was alarming, how such an occurrence could kill the land around it, even infecting the air. She wondered how such a thing could be allowed to exist, and that's when she realized that perhaps it was a safety. In the event that the balance between life and death was ever tilted, perhaps Sister Death would activate such a mountain to bring balance back. "I had no idea such a place existed in this world. Are you not concerned that it will become active once more? What would you do then?"
"Speech"
It wasn't too difficult of a climb since the ancient fire mountain had such a gradual slope, though she was careful to avoid any sharp looking volcanic rocks in the interest of not shredding her paws. Serene seemed rather interested in what she had to say about the volcano. It was a nice change to explain things to someone who could listen calmly instead of bouncing all over like her pups. "Hmm… I'm not terribly worried at the moment. When a volcano is preparing to become active the frequency of earthquakes around it will increase and they will become much stronger the closer to eruption it is. I figure that as long as I don't feel any minor quakes from the canyon we will be alright." It was half true, while she was certain it wouldn't become active just yet, she also hadn't come to investigate it before and hadn't known much about the neighboring landmark.
A vent shot steam just in front of Razi as she paused her walking, turning and adding, "I suppose if it did show signs though I wouldn't risk hanging around very long. I'd move my pack to safer lands long before eruption was imminent if at all possible. I try to not get lost in 'what ifs' though. It's not good for one to worry unnecessarily." Continuing her walking, she thanked her lucky stars and her Fallen ancestor that she hadn't actually been hit by that steam and walked the rest of the way up the slope at a brisk pace. When she reached the top she found herself gazing out at the most stunning lake she might have ever seen. Nestled in the crater where once lava flowed forth, the water glittered a lovely shade of blue that contrasted well with the black of the volcanic sand around it.
She was his aunt! Ha! What were the chances of that? Her tail wagged happily upon hearing this, because she liked Malleus and liked the idea of getting to know his big family too. "Only recently, I had no idea they had a sister pack, but Aurum Empire will certainly thrive under Abraxas rule." This family was amazing, and every time she met a new member of it, they were powerful. Leaders. Malleus led the Risen Empire. He had a cousin ruling up north. Now his aunt ruled the sister pack. It made her wonder if their linage truly was bless by God, after all, how could they not be? It could not be by chance that so many of them were successful. Amber eyes watched carefully as they scaled the mountain, being careful in the footsteps she made and being sure to walk but a step behind Razi. The dark fae seemed like she knew where to go, so Serene would trust following her. She listened quietly as she spoke of the signs of a volcano erupting, and she found peace in knowing that at least the signs would be very obvious.
Steam suddenly shot out in front of the other woman, and Serene nearly yelped in surprised; her body jolted and halted in her movements, turning to Razi for guidance. There was something about this woman, a vibe she got from her being, like her soul vibrating through her skin... it drew the fawn woman closer. She felt strength, and courage, but also a gentler side. She was so focused on this feeling she nearly missed what Razi was talking about. But she caught the end tail of it and nodded."I suppose you're right." After that, they walked up the mountain quickly and when they came over the top, Serene was stunned. The top of this mountain was not the peak she had expected, but rather a dent, and in this dent was a beautifully stunning lake. Watching the way the blue waters glistened in the sunlight, it made her realize how thirsty she was. With out thinking much about it, fawn feet began walking down the slope towards the waters. She would only pause and turn to Razi with a curious gaze. "It's drinkable, right?"
"Speech"
"I will certainly try to ensure that you are right about that. And, as a member of Risen you are welcome to visit anytime." she said. If the woman continued proving to be good company Razi might even look forward to a visit and a chat sometime. Fallen god knew she probably needed a few acquaintances to spend time with here and there.
When they crested the ridge overlooking the lake Razi wasn't disappointed by Serene's reaction. "Oh, yes," she called as she followed Serene, descending towards the lovely shimmering blue lake. There was a little more life near the water, as was to be expected. Small patches of grass tried hard to sprout near a few other small and hardy plants. Further down the shore to their right Razi even spotted a small sapling trying to take root. Truly, it was remarkable how resilient living things could be.
Seating herself near the water, Razi dipped a pa in to test the temperature. Barely glancing to Serene, she'd ask, "You are a healer, right? You smell of herbs."
Serene Validis She was welcomed into another pack lands, just for being a part of Risen. Serene found it remarkable that the trust held within one family could extend to outsiders. Well, perhaps joining their ranks didn't make Serene an outsider anymore, but if the tables were reversed, she did not know if she could so easily offer the same deal. The blonde woman smiled at the generous offer, bowing her head a little in respect. Hearing that the water was indeed drinkable, the blonde female would take a few, curious laps at the water. It tasted as divine as it looked, with a bit of an earthy twist she could only assume came from the strange soil. In this every depressing heat, it was important that Serene knew where all the nearby water sources were at, in case of a need. Golden ears perked at the question then asked, amber orbs turning from the waters reflection and back towards the midnight woman. Straightening herself into a proper sitting position, Serene pondered at how she should answer that question. She knew of healer things that was true, as she also knew of spiritual things, but she held no official title to state either skill. Finally, she spoke. |