At least it was a clear night if a bit cool for his usual tastes. Chrysanthos took a moment to appreciate the reflection of the stars in the vast lake that marked the middle of the island. He wasn't sure if he'd really find any of his siblings here but it had been such an interesting sight, drifting on the horizon, that he simply couldn't resist taking a look around. He felt like the island was calling to him, though he didn't know why. He'd found a few basic herbs but nothing he was keen to carry back across the water. For now he decided to just take to exploring.

Moving around the lake he continued toward the strange dark shapes that lay opposite the lake. The were geometric and sharp and really didn't look like they belonged here. They certainly weren't anything natural. He slipped through the cattails and reeds, dipping his head to take a quick drink before he continued.

He was still reeling from everything that happened. Célestin was an Abraxas, one of the wolves he had sworn to destroy, and most of his immediate family it seemed had come to join him on his mission to wipe the family out. He did what he normally did in moments when his own thoughts grew too heavy to bear; he wandered. Lately he had been roaming the south but tonight he ventured northward, toward the eastern end of the continent and over a narrow strip of land that led to an island. He turned his attention upward with a soft whine, his namesake winking down at him from the vast canopy of space. He needed answers, someone he could confide in, but who? Who would understand the what he had been through and provide guidance? His mother he supposed but for some reason he balked at the thought of sharing the deep emotions he had come to feel for Célestin with his mother. He kept his head low as he walked, only to lift it abruptly as a familiar scent wafted toward him. “Brother!” His mind roared and in an instant he was racing through the woods, tracking the scent of his brother Chrysanthos. “Chrys!” He called happily, his spirits instantly lifted as he raced toward his brother. speaking Thinking  you

Chrysanthos had started to lift his head when he caught the reflection of the stars in the beautiful lake. It was a lovely night. His eyes fixed on a few of the more recognizable constellations before he glanced up at the sky seeking to find them in the sky above him. His eyes focused on a constellation that rested lower in the sky, Pegasus, and he found himself wishing for the thousandth time he could find his siblings.

"Brother!"

He even thought he could hear his brothers-

Chrysanthos whipped his head around, mouth falling open as he saw his brother bounding toward him. "Pegasus! I don't believe it. How have you been? Mother's been worried. Have you seen any of our other siblings. I think everyone's tried to follow you here."

Pegasus grinned from ear to ear as he approached his brother moving to embrace him familiarly before backing off. “I’ve been well. I met with mother actually and I suspect you’re right about everyone following me.” He paused then his voice softened as he asked his next question: “How was father the last time you saw him?” He felt his stomach churn uneasily at the question, knowing that now that the entirety of his family had followed him he would have no choice but to inevitably join them as well, and be reclaimed as a slave of the Abraxas. He looked skyward, the stars unfamiliar to him in their current position, so far from their home. His heart ached, not for the first time wishing he could abandon his mission and return to the familiarity of Aytepios but knowing there was far more than his mission keeping him rooted to Boreas. speaking Thinking  you

His ears perked at the mention of their mother. "Really? Mother's come as well?" Goodness, it seemed the whole family really was intent to follow Pegasus. Well, then he didn't feel so bad about leaving. Or, at least he didn't, until Pegasus asked about their father. Guilt knotted Chrys' stomach. How would their father feel about the whole family heading back to so notorious a land? He frowned. "Concerned, worried. We all were when you left and then it seemed like one by one everyone was leaving." He smiled lightly, trying to see the bright side. "But none of that matters now! I've found you and you found mother. We just need to find everyone else and bring them back home now, right?" He gazed questioningly at his brother as the other man gazed up at the stars.

The Lovliest Lies His features fell, heartbroken by his smaller brother’s optimism. “No.” He said quietly, turning his head away to sit and contemplate the ground. “I’m sorry Chrys, but…I’ve found a life here, even if I did avenge father, I don’t think I could go back home.” He said, his voice quiet, afraid of how his brother might take the news. He sighed quietly through his nose and shook his head. “I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but I plan to raise a pack, will you stay here with me, at least until the fighting is over? I imagine I’ll need all the help I can get.” He said, finally forcing himself to look at his brother head on in spite of how unsure he felt. Talking Thinking You Of All

"No"

Chrysanthos stared at his brother, his smile slowly fading as his brows knitted together. No? What on earth could he mean by saying such a thing? "You can't be serious…" They were family, they were supposed to be together. It made no sense to him that Pegasus would want to stay in this strange and uncouth country but as his brother spoke the pieces slowly began to fall into place. So that was why Pegasus had come to this land in the first place to avenge father.

This time Chrys stared at the ground. What had happened to his father at the paws of the Abraxas was something he preferred to keep pushed away as far as possible. He'd been beyond angry, so full of sorrow that some nights he could hardly sleep. Yet, Chrys was not a warrior. While he fantasized about harming those that had done his family wrong he never expected to be capable of doing so and so he'd devoted all his venom to prayer. Prayer that Ley would smite those wicked creatures swiftly and brutally. However, while a noble warrior Chrys was not, Pegasus certainly was. If anyone could avenge their father he was certain Pegasus could do it. But what did he mean he built a life here…

"I… I understand. I have often dreamt of poisoning those wretches and crushing their skulls in my jaws… but I never thought that it would actually be possible." He glanced up at his brother, seeking the others eyes. "Do you have a plan? And what do you mean that you've built a life here?" What life could there be in this place? He was soon answered.

I know it’s a lot to ask of you, but I plan to raise a pack, will you stay here with me, at least until the fighting is over? I imagine I’ll need all the help I can get.

Chrys locked eyes with his brother for a moment as he ascertained the other's will. Finally he sighed and smiled at Pegasus. "Of course brother. There's no way I would let you face this threat alone. And after its over… we'll see. Maybe I have been unfair. Perhaps there is something in this land besides shadow."

“There are wonders to behold here, wolves unlike any I’ve ever seen in our home and magic too.” He said, recalling the underground caverns he had explored with Célestin and the strange lands they had explored together when he first arrived. “I’ve…made a friend here.” He said almost as if guiltily admitting to some wrongdoing. “His name is Célestin, he was from a pack that had fostered me when I first arrived. “ A small smile crept over his features at the memory of their first meeting. “You should see him, he’s colored like a rainbow and almost as big as I am.” He grinned, his tail wagging slightly. “He loves to explore and showed me all around the continent.” He added, his excitement growing with each word. “He’s my closest friend, we do everything together, he’s supported me since I came here.” “You’ll meet him when I raise the pack I’m sure, you’ll love him.” speaking Thinking  you

Chrysanthos didn't know that he believed much in magic, his mind so caught up in science but he believed his brother when Pegasus said there were wolves in Boreas the likes of which he'd never seen. There was also the variety and richness of the landscape, more than he could probably explore in his whole lifetime. His ears perked at the mention of a friend named Célestin. Any friend of Pegasus was a friend of Chrysanthos and he made sure to commit the name to memory in case he ran across the other man. He found himself blinking in surprise at the man's description. Colored like a rainbow? "He sounds quite interesting, I'd love to meet him! I also would like to explore these lands more. Maybe when things settle down we could take a little trip through the surrounding area." Chrys glanced at the moon, gauging its position in the sky. "It's getting late, are you staying anywhere in particular?"