Deathbelle’s dainty paws carried her over the muted red of the rocks. Darkness held the land, even more so with the smoke and ash that still filled the sky above them. Most of the dust began to settle and she was becoming more aware of the absence of some of her family. She had wanted to continue believing that Hannibal was laying the groundwork for the family’s second pack, but he hadn’t checked in with her in so long..

Dark ears pulled to her skull as she continued forward into the night. She was at home with the darkness, as many of her fair skinned kin needed to be. The thought of losing them, about not knowing where they were or what happened.. the mystery was a painful reminder of the losses the Klein family continued to feel. Her heart wept, but life went on. She had to focus on her young, and the bright future she needed to help set up for them. Deathbelle was their guide on the path and though Archon’s death caused her to stray she knew that she could do such no longer.

She was no stranger to rebuilding, and even if her pillars were removed she would replace them. Ashen would rise to its rightful place as the authority in Boreas, and she would patiently build and wait for that day to come. Even if she was not the leader when the eventual day did come. Knowing she had built the foundation for her children was plenty of reward for the Empress of Ashes. She took in a deep breath and positioned herself on a pedestal above an area large enough for the pack to gather. The ivory marked woman lifted her head and called out to those who had evacuated into the Rocks. Ashen had much to discuss.

OOC: Yo my dudes! I know that everyone has been very busy so I’m gonna go ahead and give this a 2 week deadline. Also going to start asking that your characters are posted at least once a month<3 Especially if you’re a higher tier. If you wish for your char to remain in Ashen proper (not being considered missing) I’d like a post by October 28th

The white stained pup perked from her nap at the sound of her mother’s call. Her body was fully entwined with that of her almost twin sister Calamity. Venom felt herself more drawn to her sibling with the loss of their father, and though each girl handled the loss differently at least Venom felt better having her littermate so close. She loved all of her siblings, but she felt closest to Cala because of the similarities in their looks. Theolgy wise her mind lined up more similarly to Toxicity’s beliefs. Venom found a strong comfort in the dual tones gaze of her other sister as well.

Today she found comfort in Cala, the warmth of another body was hard to depart from as their mother called for them. Venom sighed heavily as her tongue flicked from her lips anxiously. She nuzzle Calla affectionately before looking in the direction Deathbelle had sought them. ”Mom’s calling everyone together.” She mused as she awaited her sister’s form beside her before heading that direction.

With Calla beside her she appeared before Deathbelle, the morning light still covered with smoke and ash. The darkness was almost overwhelming. The girl took her place at the base of the pedestal, hoping Calamity might snuggle up close again for added warmth as she awaited what might be said.

Hela has been okay these days, feeling like she always did, feeling confident, proud of who she was. Unlike many of their pack, she hasn't been sad or anything, she wasn't the type of wolf who would mourn someone's death. And even less with someone She barely knew. Archon wasn't that important for her to even feel any inch of shame upon his departure. And there, she didn't comprehend why there was so much bullshit for his death, she wasn't agree with such agony for someone who's wasn't of their family at all. All seemed so oatethuc for her, that at times she couldn't help but feel wasting her time here, she wasn't raised for behaving like that. They were meant to conquer, to show supremacy on wherever they set a paw to. Why would they wobble over someone of different line? Of course she wasn't agree, but well she was doing her best to bare it for her family. But maybe her patience wouldn't last much longer. Tonight, she patrolled over their provisional home. When a call echoed through it, calling for the Ashen to reunite once again. With a roll of her eyes, she walked forward , raising her head height. Her tail was relaxed, just like her hackles. She made her way, firing her sister and one of her nieces there. She gave a soft smile before taking a seat. "Speak"

The loyal Warlord would heed the call of his Empress, and make his way forth to the Rocks she had chosen to host her meeting. It had been some time since she had held a meeting for the Ashen wolves, and Sirius was curious to know what she had decided. The temporary holdings of the Empire has served them well, but Sirius grew restless at the continuous disturbance of the Volcano. He stopped before Deathbelle and gave her a low bow fitting of an Empress, before stepping closer to Venom and brushing a fang across her forehead in greeting. He stayed close to the Daughter of the Empress, who had been his first pupil, and remained his pupil still. He kept his silence, seated at the base of the rocks, and would wait for the others of the Ashen Empire to assemble, and the meeting to begin. "Speech"

It felt as though she had been there in the last bloodcurdling moments of her father's life. She was sure they were just suppositions of what had happened, but the images haunted her still. She had not told anyone about these dreams yet, nor had she disclosed the toll they were taking on her mentally. Obi had been of some comfort, telling her that regardless of if what she was seeing was what really happened, it hurt her all the same and that she couldn't change the past. She knew that. It was logical. Still, she couldn't get the image of her father burning up out of her mind. The taste of ash was strong in her maw and its scent burned her nose and lungs. Her eyes watered but they still felt dry. She didn't know how to escape these feelings. She didn't know why she was seeing these things. What was she supposed to do with this information? She didn't know. She wasn't sure if she ever would know.

Her mother called out. There was to be a meeting? Toxicity pulled herself together, shaking her coat free of any debris. She felt hollow, but she didn't have to let everyone know. Tox made her way to the meeting. Many seemed to pair off in one way or another, but Toxicity didn't feel particularly inclined to be near to any of the wolves. She envied their closeness, but failed to feel it stir within her heart. She felt herself pull away, each nightmare making her more and more fearful of getting close to anyone ever again.

GOT AN ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER But the devil always won... Harbringr had kept to himself since the move to the rocks. He'd taken ill. The ash and dirt had gotten into his lungs and the resulting respiratory infection had brought him low. It didn't help that his mood had been dark in general. He wanted to comfort his sister but he didn't know what to say. Hannibal had disappeared again and he didn't know if his brother was ok or if the worst had happened and the other had been caught up in the eruption. He wanted to believe that his brother, a true Klein, could easily have weathered the event. However, he just didn't know. It was the uncertainty that ate at him. He wasn't completely sedentary however and with help from Ari and emotional support from Costanza he had thrown himself into weapon crafting, perfecting his kiln. Night had fallen and he and Ari were cleaning up the area that served as his workshop when he heard his sisters call. Harbringr glanced at his companion and the pair commenced to hurry their cleaning. He wanted to get everything taken care of. As soon as he was finished he called for Costanza and the trio headed to the meeting. There were a number of wolves gathered there. He nodded solemnly to Deathbelle and moved to sit near to her but far back enough to show respect. He wanted to show his support without being a distraction.

The call for the pack to assemble rang out clearly across the rocks and Zee's head lifted to take in her Empress' beautiful voice. They hadn't had a formal meeting in some time but were definitely due for one. It seemed Sirius was already gone, and the servant girl knew she'd find her husband already with the other gathered wolves. She got to her feet and made her way towards the call with her viper wrapped loosely around her shoulders. On approach it appeared most of the others had arrived before her and she dipped in quietly to join them. She looked on at Sirius at the base of the rocks and longed to join him, but decided against it. He was a Warlord - a high ranking member of the Empire - and her place as handmaiden was not beside him in a formal meeting. Zee was not blind to the way the Klein's looked upon slaves and still struggled with her place in the pack. She didn't know whether it was appropriate to stand with the Empress either, and simply found her way into the crowd away from any of the slave-hating Kleins and sat to wait her alpha's words. "Speech"

Pestilence didn't want to go to a stupid meeting. She didn't want to hear any more about the volcano or dad or anything else for that matter. When her siblings woke from their nap, paired up and headed out together she gave the back of their skulls a terse glare. She couldn't not go, though. Being a princess of Ashen had it's responsibilities and she knew she'd be in trouble if mom didn't see her at a mandatory meeting. The pup made her way through the crowd and moved to sit behind her mother. Tensions within the family were high with Archon's passing and she felt she could hardly relate to any of her Abraxas kin anymore. Her mom though would be a Klein forever and Pesto knew she could count on her. She sniffed, containing her emotions and lifted her head proudly. When the meeting started she could not look broken or sad, she needed to be strong like the volcano and make her Klein heritage proud. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

She had been gone a little too long, though perhaps not as long as Hannibal would be, wherever the hell he was. She had gone in search of him the moment she felt something was wrong. The spirits screamed in her head, wailing and caterwauling as they kept going on about something was wrong but they wouldn't tell her exactly what until it happened. The volcano had erupted and she had been a bit too close for comfort. After she healed her burned paws, she had resumed her search for her brother but in the end, she had been unsuccessful in finding him. Frustrated and angry that he had disappeared in the first place, she vaguely hoped the fool hadn't gotten caught up in the destruction...though perhaps if this was the second time her brother had flaked during his time in these lands, perhaps he wasn't the one to follow, either. Although she wasn't entirely fond of the way Deathbelle was ruling, she at least had stuck around. Perhaps one day...someone would seize the throne and rule it the way it was meant to be. For now, she begun her arduous journey back home only to find that they were no longer there. Muttering curses under her breath, she had managed to track down their whereabouts with the help of the bird she had befriended while she was recovering from the volcano's aftermath. The owl had informed her about the group of wolves taking shelter in the canyon. Changing her course, she was nearing the location when she heard her sisters call for Ashen together and that's when she knew she had made it. With a suppressed sigh, she moved quietly until she had made it to the small gathering, though she noticed how much smaller the pack seemed to be compared to when she had last seen them. It was an omen, she was sure. Both the eruption and the lack of members present...things would not go well for Ashen. She could only hope to be proven wrong, however. Else the pack would return to the ashes and the Klein name would eventually fade from memory. The dual toned babe took a seat near the back of the small gathering, silent and thoughtful. She had no intentions of speaking her thoughts to the pack but felt their were matters that ought to be discussed in private. Perhaps she would seek out her sister after this meeting...though for now, she settled on her belly to relieve her paws for a few moments and waited. "Can you see me?"

The eruption had scared the shit out of him, but his mom had eventually found him but then...he lost her. Maybe he hadn't been paying attention and got lost again or something? Whatever the case, he found his way back to Ashen but...no trace of his mother or his father. Maybe his brother was waiting here for him? Though the young boy had found traces of the pack, he hadn't been totally sure until he heard the alphas call. Weary from all that constant walking around, he felt tired to the bone and when he found the others he sank onto the ground, exhausted. A quick search told him, however, that neither his mother nor father were here...and...evidently, his brother was gone too. Confused, he searched the bodies but didn't really recognize them. He hadn't really interacted with those in the pack, and barely knew who they were. Some he knew were related to him, according to his mother. Like...aunts and uncles, but he wasn't quite sure who was who. The young dwarf remained silent, however, wondering if he should just leave and keep searching for his family...

Gadreel had practically kept himself in solitude since he learned of his fathers death. He avoided everyone, keeping to himself and only coming out when he was hungry and stuff. Needless to say, he had practically cut himself off of all contact. As he stewed in the dark day after day, he questioned the things his father taught them. If the Fallen God was as great as he said...why did he kill his father? Why did he send them into a world of fire and darkness? He had questions rolling in his head...and no answers.

It wasn't until he heard the alphas call that he reluctantly picked himself up and moved to join them. He sat at the back of the group, detached and not bothering to greet or acknowledge anyone. As far as he was concerned, nothing else really mattered anymore.

The beast was reluctant to answer Deathbelle's call, but she knew she would be forced to go if she was too late. Watching as Gadreel moved off first, Dea roused her other two children and ushered them with their brother. Her darker son sat in the back of the crowd, and Dea moved in beside him, looking at his small form with a sad expression. Each of her children had been struggling with the loss of their father, and Dea wanted nothing more than to take them away from the pain of it all. It was what had driven her to try and leave Ashen, other than her own pain. The demoness had been accustomed to loss by their age, and she had never truly considered children before, so she was not equipped to deal with their grief. Her best was not enough to get them through their loss, but she did what she could to be there emotionally for her children.

Sitting close to Gadreel, Dea sought to wrap him close to her with her tail, motioning for Orpheus and Lilybet to settle close to her. They all struggled, but Dea knew in time things would get better for them. For now, she sat behind the rest of the Klein wolves and listened.

The little prince had much to think about, he had discovered the names of so many plants and their descriptions, and now he would have to memorize which description matched which plant. It wasn't much but it kept the pup occupied and gave him something to do. He wanted to impress his mother, and his aunt, with how much he knew about all these different plants and what they could be used for. He was most interested in poisonous plants, and things that could make a wolf uncomfortable. Like poison ivy or belladonna! Of course, there was also the poppy plant...which could be as helpful as it was harmful. It was on one of these plant discovering mission that the prince heard his mother's voice. Having been on the other side of the territory, it took him a while to arrive.

When he made it to the meeting place, he moved in to sit between Tox and Pest, both of whom looked very alone in very different ways. Plague wanted to fix the rift between his siblings, but he wasn't quite sure how to go about reforming those bonds. Confrontation was not quite his strong suit, though he could hold his own, he just preferred to learn and heal. Perhaps this could be his first challenge. Attention returned to his mother, he waited to see what everyone was gathered for.

She still didn't quite understand why they all had to gather together, but she was dutiful when it came to her mother's call. Calamity roused herself from where she had been napping and made her way to the meeting. Winter had seen the arrival of proud little nubs that she bore on the crown of her head. They had only just begun to sharpen into their natural point. For the most part, her headaches had left her. In their wake was the final fruit of their labor: a perfect little rack of antlers. Calamity arrived and settled in by her mother, curious as to what the announcement would be. Maybe they could finally go home and leave this dusty place behind.

Luce was in better spirits now that she'd been tending to herself. The winter had proved very... challenging. In many aspects, she felt as if she'd failed to rise to the occasion. Bourbon had been forced to assist her far more than she'd wished, but she was grateful for his help in the end. He had proved his worth and she was glad to keep him.

Deathbelle's call soothed her. Visions of her better equipped den near the lake danced in her head. Could they finally return home? Spring was practically upon them - she would need to spend as much time as she could gathering the fresh green shoots of new plants. Her stores after the calamitous winter were pitifully low.

Lily trailed after her mother with a dutiful air about her, the broken-hearted pup barely raised her turquoise rimmed eyes to see who else was in attendance. A bitter look was etched on her young face, and she considered briefly just running away from it all. Though, she had borne direct witness to the result of that particular plan, thanks to her mother. Dea was only trying to get them away from pain, Lily wasn't quite understanding why they couldn't just leave if their mother wished them to. Lily tried to keep her mind off such things, more than most.

Anger was a huge part of her life right now, often resulting in aggression toward her mother and siblings, though she didn't mean to. Her true anger was directed toward the God Abraxas and the one who fought her father, the emotion going so far as to drive her away from religion altogether. She was angered by the thick tendrils of smoke that came from the volcano that had swallowed her father, and if she could, she would have fought the very beast itself. A very perturbed Lily came to sit between her mother's forelegs and look over at Gadreel. It was good to see him out, but there was unreasonable anger that she had for him looking like their father. Part of her adored him and would always adore him, but he was a close reminder of what she lost. It didn't stop her from looking at him so she could also see her father, even if her motives were selfish and he might not like her gazing at him.

Bourbon followed obediently after Luce, there was no command to do so the action was instinctual by now. He had a hard time leaving her with her lapse in health, but she was in all honesty doing much better already. The two of them appeared in attendance as Deathbelle called them and the dog settled in comfortably beside his mistress. He could be as close to her as he wished, as they all thought him to be a simple pet anyway. In truth he felt himself growing too fond of Lucretia. He spent all of his time with her, and knew her better than he knew himself. She was quickly taking his heart as well as his loyalty. His fluffy tail wagged absently beside him as he looked up to the Empress’s form.

The wolves of Ashen appeared before her as asked, a few pups, Sirius and Zee of course, Hela and Hari were quick as well. Dea ushered her children in and Belle didn’t miss the decisively chosen places the wolves of her pack decided upon. She didn’t miss Pandora’s form, and seeing her seemed to cement the loss of Hannibal in her mind. If she reappeared without her brother.. Deathbelle couldn’t help but think the worst. The gathering place was eerily quiet, no wolf made a sound as they lined up before her. A sign of the somber grip upon Ashen since the eruption. Another sign of terror to come? Or maybe calm would finally settle over the Klein family. When it seemed everyone who was going to show up appeared Deathbelle stood up to address the gathering.

”You have my thanks for appearing here today.” Everyone who offered their gaze would be looked in the eye by the Empress. ”Much has changed since the eruption. Much has been lost.” A recurring event in the Klein family. It seemed an awful cycle. They reached a new high, only to be brought to a new low. ”There is much to be gained as well.” She looked down to Sirius, her features neutral but proud. ”The Empire will expand, I introduce you to Sirius, the Warlord of Ashen’s Armada.” She wasn’t sure how the remaining members of her family might feel about the promotion.

”When we are able to, we will make the move Eastward. Where we will have no neighbors, and our ability to expand will increase. The Ashen Empire will be more centrally located, and we can more heavily establish the Klein name in Boreas.” They would be supreme again. With their combined power no one would rival their strength. ”To attain these goals We must refill the highest ranks of the Empire. First,” She looked to Harbringr now. ”My dearest brother,” for he truly was. The only one to stay by her side through everything. ”Will you take your place as Daimyo beside me?” She asked, certain of his answer already.

He was the only one she was certain of however and now her lilac gaze returned to the other wolves around her. ”Who else would seek their place in greatness?” She asked softly, curious if her kin wished to take on the responsibilities the higher tiers of the Empire demanded. ”Or would offer their grievances to me?” Deathbelle was no tyrant, she wished for the whole of the pack to prosper and advance.

OOC: No post order/ no mandatory reply needed unless your wolf would like to pursue a higher rank! Or if they have anything to say about the changes going on<3

Hela patiently waited, not making eye contact with whoever else was there, she wasnt in the mood of speaking unless needed at all. But then, she eyed the rest of the pack, as one by one arrived, taking a seat. Of all of them, her eyes of pink landed upon her niece Pesto. Same with her siblings, Pandora, Hardi, and Luce. Sirius came along too, with his mate.

But finally, after some wait, the empress spoke again. ”Much has changed since the eruption. Much has been lost.” She nodded, many has been missing, many had faded, including Hannibal. She, of course, was worried, he was her full sibling after all. But even if the possibilities of seeing him again, were apparently null, she at least hoped he had found a merciful death.

Then, the announcement of the foundation of the Ashen Armada was shared. Her expression was cold, but deep inside she felt satisfaction to see they were finally putting their paws where they really should. Finally, they were doing something useful. ”When we are able to, we will make the move Eastward. Where we will have no neighbors, and our ability to expand will increase. The Ashen Empire will be more centrally located, and we can more heavily establish the Klein name in Boreas.” Hela nodded smirking a bit, the idea of having their name be heard through all of Boreas, made her blood boil. ”Who else would seek their place in greatness?” She wasnt sure if she should speak out loud here, she preferred to share her desires in a more private place, but maybe the decision had to be made here and now. So with a silent gaze, she attempted to meet her sister's eyes. A nod came from her, like affirming with the question. "I do Belle, I wish to take a place beside you. I want to help you and the Empire further than I do as your Advisor." She explained. Cold and mature vocals came out of her ashen mouth.

GOT AN ANGEL ON MY SHOULDER But the devil always won... Wolves filed in one by one and Harbringr took stock of their numbers as well as the numbers of young they had. He was glad to see that most everyone seemed to have made it through the winter physically alright thought he was sure the event had taken a mental and emotional toll. When everyone was settled Deathbelle began the meeting by announcing the expansion of the empire with Sirius leading a new Armada. Hari raised a brow but offered a nod to the saber-fanged man. When the empire expanded he'd assumed it would be a Klein that expanded it but since Hannibal's disappearance it wasn't terribly unexpected. After all, Harbringr himself had not offered his name, nor had any of his siblings to the best of his knowledge. Sirius was strong and seemed to have Belle's best interest at heart so it was worthwhile to see where this would go. However, Harbringr, in light of Hanni's disappearance, would opt to stay with Ashen and his newly widowed sister rather than join the ranks of the armada. Harbringr looked forward to relocating. In his mind the Redwater Rocks were associated with loss and the eruption and he was anxious for a new beginning. Deathbelle turned her head to address him and Harbringr straightened his posture. "Dearest sister, it would be a honor to stand by your side as Daimyo. I accept!" He did not let his intimidation show. All Klein were trained in the art of ruling in some degree or another but being the youngest he hadn't really expected to use these lessons. After they'd lost so much he knew he needed to start stepping up but was he competent enough to do so? There was only one way to find out.