It was unbearably good to be home. Even though he didn't have a definite home per se, Boreas was closer than anything else Orion had ever known. Weariness had been with him for so long that the young male had grown used to it's presence but now he was revitalized, just to have been roaming somewhat familiar lands again. He, for the first time in a long time, had a rough idea what would wait over the horizon if he ventured in any given direction. He had not found his mother, sure. He'd given up on the hope, even if he held onto his love for her, to indulge in the love of his brother and sister instead. You know, once he found them. The Devil's Spout was pretty much uninhabitable, but it made for a warm and spectacular view while Orion rested himself for a day. He had found himself a small rise, fallen away into a gently sloping cliff on the side facing the most active geysers, but far enough away to view them only at a distance. He wasn't vain necessarily, but he preferred an in-tact pelt to disfiguring burn scars, thanks all the same. Just then he heard a faint rumble in the earth, and perhaps a quarter mile out in the wasteland before and gout of water and mist and steam rocketed into the sky. The young mile smiled, large fangs becoming even more pronounced as his lips pulled back. It certainly isn't the worst way to spend a day, he mused to himself. He never got sick of witnessing the land's magnificent fury. More than once he'd imagined what it would look like to see something get rocketed into the sky, but the aftermath would probably be a bit gruesome... Hmm. He shrugged and waited for the next display. Orion had dearly missed the north's splendor, but he was excited to venture farther through the lands as well. He had been very young when he'd followed after Artemis season ago. The prospect of being more able bodied and able to explore places he couldn't reach before was enticing to say the least. But for today, rest. "Talk" "Listen" Think

"Speech"

Lyrae was keen to get started on the duties that became her own after joining a pack. Becoming a scout was actually a really interesting turn of events. She did like to explore, and now she had a base of operations, a safe place to return to. People, to be around. She might have lost her family, but she was slowly gaining a new on in Fyri. it made her loyalties to the pack absolute, and her need to train for her position rather important.

Stars where an interesting thing, and having spent so much of her life studying, she knew enough to travel by them.. Sort of. It was a work in progress, like finding the Northern Star and oriantating herself by it. It was an inexact science, but it used her knowledge of the universe, and it was fun.

Navigating by the day was a little trickier, and she was careful to keep careful watch on her directions, marking herself a path incase an unexpected downpour washed away her scent. It was with this distraction that she made her way into the Devil’s Spout, and as she wondered on through, a sudden eruption would happen not to far from her. She gave a cat-like yelp of surprise, fur standing on end, and weight on her toes as she stared at the gushing water and felt the warmth of it from here. what in all the worlds…

Art by Sigath

From his higher vantage point, Orion was easily able to see another wolf approach from the east. His ears perked, curiosity immediately piqued because if his eyes were not mistake, this was not your typical wolf. Even from a ways away he could pick out a smattering of colors amongst her coat. Without even a moment to consider his actions, he was up and heading her way. Orion was careful about where he walked as he skirted the edge of the geothermal waste, ever conscious of the places that seemed most likely to pose danger. Because of this is took him a bit longer to reach her than a path directly across might have, but as he made his way three quarters around yet another jet of steaming water erupted and Orion was convinced that his caution was worthwhile. A few more paces forwards and he was able to call out. He wasn't sure whether or not the other wolf had seen him or not, but it was still respectful to keep some space as far as he was concerned. He slowed to a stop. "Hey there!" He sat. Up close she was a tiny little thing (at least compared to him) and he didn't want to appear threatening, so he kept his smile easy and friendly. He could see a smattering of star-like markings sprinkled across her coat, and he wondered briefly if they might be related. As far as he knew, only the Aeris line boasted coats like these. "Sorry to bug you, but I saw you walking in from back there. Are you an Aeris wolf?" His heart rate started to pick up. Who was this girl? If he had to guess she was young, like him, so not a sibling probably. A brief pain shot through his chest at the thought of Artemis leaving them behind to go have another litter elsewhere, but he pushed the thoughts of his mother away. Maybe she was a cousin or something. Better yet, maybe she would have word of Jupiter or Aerndis. He couldn't help but hope. "Talk" "Listen" Think

"Speech"

The sound and sights and sensations of this new world where shocking, and once her initial shock was gone, she was instead left with a lingering sense of wonder. It took her a few moments longer then that, to release this place might pose a danger to her, and she began to look about herself. She saw other holes where spouts of water might burst free from, but none where close enough to her to cause her any worry. Still, she stayed where she was as she considered this minefield she had inadvertently begun to enter.

Another geyser erupted to the side and she glanced over at it, watching as the water soured to surprising heights. incredible she had a moment of fancy with the idea of a wolf standing above one, thrown to crazy heights, where they could really see the stars. Of course, that realisation died out with the understanding that to do so also meant death.

She almost missed the call out of another, and almost like an afterthought, her head began to turn, and she would see the brightly coloured wolf who stood there. After spending time with iggy and Sephy she was becoming familiar with being surrounded by beauty. Still, she hadn’t lost her appreciation for it.

He had shockingly similar blues and ambers across his body, with a brush of orange beneath his eyes that reminded her startlingly of her own. Oh, oh finally, she had found a member of her family! She jumped to her paws, whirling fully towards him, tail swishing behind her at the sudden surge of joy--
Aeris wolf
No, there had to be some mistake.
“I- I’m an Elementas, do you have any ties to that family?”

Art by Sigath

When the shewolf noticed him at last, she seemed to light up. Orion felt his own heartbeat quicken, thinking perhaps she had recognized him even if he didn't quite recall her. But something he said seemed to have broken that spell... Uh oh. He figured he must have done something dumb, but before he could wonder she said, “I- I’m an Elementas, do you have any ties to that family?” Oh. Orion realized pretty quickly he'd been mistaken, strange as that seemed. He'd never seen another wolf with a pelt of stars that hadn't been his kin, but... And she had seemed so excited. Orion figured maybe she too had been expecting family, but... "Sorry, no," he said softly, embarrassed by his role in the mix up. "I'm Orion Aeris-Imperialis. My mother's kin and my siblings share, well.." he waggled a paw between them. "It's not every day I cross paths with another wolf that shares our look. Your Elementas must be quite the clan, if they're anything like us," he softly boasted, but it was meant mostly in jest. He would rather the younger wolf laugh than look disappointed. In the back of his mind he realized that this was probably a bad thing. Orion had been running on the assumption that the only astral-pelted wolves in Boreas were Aeris wolves, but this... He'd never heard of the Elementas, not that he could remember. It seemed as if his search just got a hell of a lot harder. "Do you live around here?" He wondered. Perhaps she had been sired by an Aeris and just didn't know... It still seemed likely enough that there might be a connection for him to press further, but he didn't want to seem rude or too pushy. Unfortunately that didn't do much to lessen his curiosity. "Talk" "Listen" Think

He apologised to her, through she had been the one to make the mix up. Her ears dropped a little, the young girl was still holding out hope, some possibility, that she had family out there somewhere. She had lost a lot of herself with her sisters disappearance, and was just trucking on now, hoping to make the best of her circumstances.

“I’m Lyrae” she would introduce herself, as he gave his name. It was a very pretty one, one that seemed star orientated. The Orion was a constellation, wasn’t it? She grinned as he wiggled a paw between them, picking back up on her earlier cheer. “I’ve only met a small portion of my family, my mother split from them before I was born. But, I’ve heard stories that they all boost unique colors.” she explained. “I bet your family is a gorgeous sight on reunions.” she would add.

She didn’t know the man before her, but he seemed good natured and sweet, and the young wolf was able to push past her thoughts on her own family, and keep her smile for him. “I just joined a pack recently, that's not far from here. Its run by some pretty colourful wolves too - Ignatius Agnivo. But his colors are more like ice and fire then stars.” she would explain.

Both wolves seemed a bit put out by the mix up, but Orion did his best to recover as soon as he could. She introduced herself as Lyrae and he smiled, bobbing his head in acknowledgement. She explained that she'd only met a small portion of her family too and he barked out a laugh. "Sounds like we might be birds of a feather, you and I. If I ever find myself at an Aeris reunion though, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes." He joked and grinned in lieu of laughing outright. There were so few Aeris he knew of, it seemed like he'd sooner grow wings than gather a group of Aeris wolves in one place. He knew his father, sort of, but his knowledge of that side was pretty limited too. All the same he had to agree with Lyrae, any gathering of them had to be a sight to behold. She spoke of even more colored wolves and the pack she came from. He hummed, considering. His task seemed like it was getting harder and harder, but he wasn't going to be deterred that easily. Orion looked back to the heart of geyser field as the ground gently rumbled, but no jets emerged. "Your pack is nearby to this place? I heard from a traveling trader once that angry fire spirits below the ground can loose lava onto the land when they come to surface, but he never mentioned steam and water. I wonder what's causing it." He hoped that perhaps living nearby meant that she would know, because he was definitely curious. Not only did it seem unique but it was beautiful too. If he wasn't half a mind to thinking a giant water monster might come bursting out of the ground, he might have planned to stay longer. "Talk" "Listen" Think