I'M GONNA BE THE MAIN EVENT like no king was before The day had come, and the King had arisen even before it arrived. Already his morning patrol had been issued and he was circling back toward the den - only a few hundred yards from where it lay nestled in the forest. The children had grown leaps and bounds since their birth, and having been assured that they were old enough to explore, he was confident that today would be the day they experienced Seracia for the first time. A measure of pride glimmered in his eyes, and the excited smile that danced upon his lips. There was an eagerness in his steps as the russet man ducked into the den - finding his wife and children still inside. "Good morning," he crooned to all of them, some probably still sleeping while others were alert. The smile grew as he lay eyes upon each of them before aiming an affectionate kiss in Epiphron's direction. Voice would lower as he whispered in her ear. "Shall we show them the Kingdom they were born into?" He dared not think they could keep the children contained any longer, though they weren't as mischievous as he had been at this age. He supposed he was thankful for that - and would continue to be for the many years that he would remain their father. The King remained standing, eager for the Queen's response so that they could go and show the children the world, and show the world the children. Oh joyous day! {Table coded by Lu}

Being a mother so far had been taxing -- but much more rewarding. At first, her children had been blind and dumb, hardly able to move at all and certainly didn't understand the world. Over the course of a month, they had changed rather drastically, into three distinct creatures, all of whom had their own personalities, their likes and dislikes, their own feelings and thoughts and opinions. It was beautiful -- so beautiful -- and she wouldn't wait to see them continue to grow and become fully themselves. Today was a typical day thus far, until her husband returned and ducked inside the den with a grin. "Glad you decided to join us," she teased, nudging his neck gently. Leaning toward her, he offered a suggestion -- taking them out of the den for the first time. Certainly a wonderful suggestion! Her own smile grew, and she rolled over onto her belly, taking care to not roll onto her three children. They would certainly change as they begun to realize their roles in the pack; they knew they were the children of the King and Queen, and what this meant, but they likely wouldn't comprehend it until they began to meet other wolves and interact with them. How would it change them, she wondered? It was a necessary thing, and though part of her longed to protect them from the world forever, she knew it was about time. She tilted her head downward, at the babes resting beside her, nudging each of them gently. "What do you think? Ready to go see the big wide world?" She inquired softly, placing kisses on each of their little heads. If any of them argued, she would oblige their wishes -- for now. But it would have to happen sooner or later. Excited gaze drifted to Maverick, adoration and happiness shining in those sapphire orbs.

Amalia was bored. She?d been stuck inside this den for so long, and now she was big, now she wanted to see the world and chase flutterbys (butteflies) and learn where all the weird smells came from. The appearance of father put a giddy grin onto her pretty, russet-kissed face, little tail wagging out behind her. "Da!" she cooed, pleased to see the appearance of her father. She was wiggling excitedly, perhaps knocking into her brothers while she did so, but Amalia was an excitable sort of child with a refreshing enthusiasm for life and all things beautiful.
The question her mother gave proved to be too much, and after a swift kiss to her head she was up, standing upon wobbly legs as she smiled excitedly. "I wantas essplore!" she said, practically jumping up and down with a giddy sort of joy. "Qwinny, Casssyyy, c?monnnn," she whined, impatiently nuzzling Cassius before turning to attempt to pull on Qunitus?s ear. Maybe she hadn?t been waiting all that long, but she was antsy, and she wanted to know what existed beyond the reaches of their den.

The arrival of his father awoke the young Quintus Nero Adravendi-Mathias, and yet he did not stir. Instead, he curled himself tighter around his mother, feigning sleep. Only as his mother placed a kiss on his head did he slowly allow one of his lids to open, ever so slightly, to glance at his siblings.

The prospect of exploring was kinda exciting, but not nearly as awesome as his sister seemed to think. He was more than content to lay here and bask in the early morning sunlight, which was perhaps a precursor to the kind of wolf he would grow to be. However, both of his eyes shot open as Amalia grabbed hold of one of his ears and tugged. It didn't hurt, but he yelped softly as though it did. "Ouch!" he said somewhat grumpily, wriggling away from her dramatically, as though she might strike again. "Why you do that, Ama?" Quintus whined indignantly. He was not always like this around his siblings -- truthfully he loved them -- but he was having a puppy temper tantrum at being woken up before he was ready. It would likely be over in minutes. He ignore the fact that they were to go outside, too sleepy to think of exploring right yet.

As sound a sleeper as the most flighty of Adravendi-Mathias children was, he still could not ignore the obvious change of pace that came when his father entered the den. Bi-colored eyes opened sleepily, but no sound was given as the russet sire greeted them and whispered in their mother's ear. Though he wasn't expected to be here at this hour, nothing was really unusual about his presence, and so dreamily the child's eyes would close once more. It was only when Amalia began to excitedly stir and wiggle that he was disturbed enough to pay better attention to what had been said. They were going outside? Outside of their warm, comfortable home? Why on earth would they want to do that? Did father not know how incredibly tiny they all were? Wouldn't something eat them? Ears folded over his skull, but the excitement in Amalia's eyes was evident. He couldn't ruin this for her, even if it was positively terrifying for him. "I'm - i'm up," he chided with the prattle of a child. Quickly and with certainty he would stand, leaning into his mother slightly for security. His ears swiveled forward, finding that while he was still petrified - curiosity also brimmed somewhere in his chest. His tail began to swing like a pendulum, slowly picking up speed as momentum made the movement easier and more fluid. He would wait until ushered out, unlike his sister who would probably burst out of the den the moment their parents took a step. She was excitable - as he well knew.


"speech"

I'M GONNA BE THE MAIN EVENT like no king was before A chuckle was given as his wife joked with him about joining them. It was true, regrettably he had not been able to spend every moment with his young family.. but he was here now and that was the important part. The children began to stir, first awake being Amalia who was eager as always to see him. It was amazing how much they had grown and matured in only a month. Even now she knew that something was up, and was excited as she could be about it. He smiled proudly, dipping his head to her and nuzzling her gently. "Amalia," He sighed, her puppy scent was glorious. Epiphron turned the question to the children, and to no one's surprise at all - Amalia answered first. She wanted to go, and quickly tried to stir her brothers to life. It was surprising that the only female in the group was so far the most outgoing. As the boys roused themselves he shifted carefully over their wriggling bodies and turned toward the den's entrance - knowing he'd have to get out of the way before Epiphron could exit. "Alright, come on you three." With that he slithered from the den, recoiling almost immediately to turn toward the entrance. Amalia was likely to burst out at top speed, and if she wasn't careful she could hurt herself or go too far out of sight. When he felt like they would start to emerge, he would proudly say "Welcome to the Kingdom of Seracia." It was a mouthful, but they ought to hear the proper name of it before shortening it as everyone else did to simply 'Seracia'. {Table coded by Lu}

It was not at all surprising to Epiphron that their only daughter was the one who was most immediately excited about leaving the confinement of the den. She was easily the most joyful of the three babes, but of course, that wasn't entirely telling; after all, they were all barely a month and a half old, with so much life left to live. Amalia rushed to Maverick almost as soon as he poked his head into the den, rushing over to greet him. At the prospect of leaving the den, however, she seemed to overflow with eagerness -- rushing over to her brothers, nudging them and even nipping at the ear of Quintus, the biggest of the litter. His reaction was one of feigned irritation, and, as she was certain Amalia had not harmed him, she merely leaned to nuzzle the boy affectionately. There was no need for scolding now; Quintus tended to be the more stubborn one of the litter, and she was certain his foul mood would be over quickly. Cassius seemed less sure of the decision to let them explore the world outside of their den, leaning into her as though he needed reassurance badly. She draped her muzzle over his back, but not before lapping at the boy's cheek with unabashed love. "I won't leave your side," she promised him, knowing he was the smallest pup -- and often the most timid. Slowly she pulled herself upright, letting Maverick usher the children out of the den, following behind them so she could keep an eye on them as they slipped from safety and into the world. Rather quickly Epiphron had adapted to being a mother, and felt fiercely protective of her children. The thought of them running around on their own was positively terrifying, but it was simply something that had to be done.

The affection lavished upon her by her father was most certainly appreciated by the child, giggles erupting from her lips. She was a Daddy?s girl most certainly, although that didn?t mean she loved her mother or brothers any less. Amalia was the sort of child with a big heart, able to spread warmth and joy wherever she went. Well, maybe with a little bit of rough housing, but she only ever meant it with the best of intentions. It would seem that Quintus wouldn?t give in to her provocation for play, a fact which brought a pout to the babe?s youthful face. "Qwit bein? sucha baby," she said, noting Cassius?s reluctance. Amalia was much bolder than her two brothers, unafraid of the newness that sat beyond her den.
Her father moved towards the den, summoning them forth, and without any sort of hesitation she would waddle towards the entrance. When she exited her bright, sapphire eyes would observe all that surrounded her, a smile brightening her girlish features. And then her paws hit the grass, and she recoiled, her walking becoming awkward and strange as she did so. "What?s a this? Why?s it tries ta noms me?" she asked, referring to the fact that the grass was slightly prickly to her soft paws. What she heard her father say was given more importance, making the girl (whose limbs were flailing somewhat on the grace, rather ungracefully) pause. "Whatsa Shewachicha,? she said, the wording of the pack clearly beyond her.
"Cassy, Qwinny, you gotsa com be noms on too,? she called, turning her head back, tail wagging wildly as she hoped her brothers would be right behind her. She wanted them to come have fun, too!

Though he felt sleep was a far better option, he watched as even Cassius pushed himself onto all fours, declaring he was awake -- and ready to go. With a slightly mischievous grin Quintus slid near his brother, waiting until his father and mother began to usher the youngsters from the den. Sliding behind Cassius, he leaned forward to nip at his tail, grabbing hold of it for a second, knowing it would startle him. It was all in good fun, but he caught his mother's stern stare as she nudged him forward and with a dejected frown, he let go of his grasp on the runt of the litter.

'Welcome to the Kingdom of Seracia.' Maverick announced, and he padded forth. Everything was bright, much brighter than he had expected! He purposefully narrowed his eyes, knowing he would have to take a moment to adjust to the sunlight. He padded slowly after Amalia, knowing that Cassius would likely stay close to their mother, and he didn't really want to tease him all day anyway. He loved his brother, even if he was a bit of a wimp. 'Whatsa Shewachicha?' Amalia inquired, confused; he snorted, tail wagging behind his slightly chubby body. "It's where we live. Duh." he explained dramatically, as though it were so obvious ... he decided to not try to to pronounce the name himself not wanted to make a fool of himself when he'd just answered his sister's question.

Eyes found the green grass -- something he had only seen from the den's entrance -- and he watched Amalia walk on it awkwardly. It didn't really look like it was eating her, or hurting her, but she seemed to think so... with hesitance he stepped forward, eyes growing wide at the feeling of grass tickling his paws. "Cool," he said with a giggle, leaning to nudge Amalia's side. "Feels good."

?Seracia is the land your father looks over and protects.? The soft gentle voice of the Ambassador spoke up, coming to a stop just a few feet from the family. Loccian had been going on a morning walk when she saw the children and King exit the den, a friendly smile upon her lips, dipping her head to the king and queen. "I'm Loccian little ones." Her grey gaze looked over each child, taking in their unique colors and markings. She expected at least one of them to have one of the parents markings but they got completely different ones, it wasn't a bad thing, it was interesting. "normal. i talk. i think. you talk." Awesome table by Lu <3

His mother assured him that she wouldn't leave his side, and he nodded while swallowing down the lump in his throat. It seemed he had no other choice. With a hesitant sigh, the child stood and prepared to exit the den with his siblings, only to realize that something was attacking him while he was still inside. He yipped nervously, whirling around to see his brother who had only just released his tail. A halfhearted growl spurred in his chest, but he resisted letting it grow any louder for fear his brother might only retaliate further. Pound for pound, Cassius didn't have a chance when it came to squabbling with his brother.

When it became his time to exit the den and enter the real world, Cassius swallowed once more and then scrambled up the slight elevation and into the morning air. The sun was bright - incredibly bright. He squinted involuntarily, recoiling half a step back. If only he could go back inside where it was safe and dark and warm. As his bi-colored eyes adjusted to the brightness of the sun, Cassius noted that his sister was prancing about quite awkwardly - like she was just starting to walk for the very first time. He tilted his head, still standing on the dirt and unaware of the sensations of the prickly looking grass. Quintus moved forward next, answering her inquiry about what 'Shewachicha' was. Cassius smirked slightly, not wanting to venture a guess as to how to pronounce whatever his father had called this land.

Just as Quintus was acknowledging the apparently strange sensation of the grass, a woman came forward. She was stormy gray and huge compared to the children, and the young Adravendi-Mathias ducked beneath the careful shelter of his mother's bodice. He stood just beneath her, his head centered between her front paws. The woman's voice split the air, explaining what this place was, and introducing herself as Loccian. Tentatively he stepped out so that the front half of his bodice was out from under his mother's shadow. Bi-colored eyes stared warily at the woman. "D-d-do you know her m-mama?"

"speech"

I'M GONNA BE THE MAIN EVENT like no king was before He stood protectively, all guards up - and yet giving the appearance of being relaxed. He would be ready to spring should anything threaten his children, yet he hoped that that would not occur. Amalia came first, her white and russet figure emerging from the den at an unsurprising speed. He had expected her to be the first out of the chute. She was clearly uncertain about the grass, and so Maverick bowed his front half down to bring his head to her level. "This is grass, Ama. It won't hurt you, but it does feel a bit funny, doesn't it?" He glanced to Quintus, who was now exploring the grass as well. He grinned as Amalia faltered in pronouncing Seracia, but he didn't correct her. She would learn in time. Loccian then came, resulting in Cassius' quick disappearance into his mother's shadow. He rose up to his full height and addressed the woman with a nod and a greeting. "Good morning, Loccian. I believe you remember Amalia, Quintus, and Cassius." She'd seen them only momentarily upon their birth, but they all looked much different now. Their colors had settled in and darkened, and their eyes were fully open now - not to mention the difference in weight and puppy fat that had developed over their first month of life. He glanced at them all proudly, before adjusting his vision to carefully survey the land around them - ensuring that nothing was amiss or dangerous. A pup had been killed - Loccian's own adopted child, in fact - and he would take every precaution he could for his children. When he found nothing amiss, the King relaxed ever so slightly and turned his attention back to the progeny. "Come on out, Cassius, Loccian is a good friend." There was perhaps no wolf he trusted more besides those within his own family. "You three can explore if you like, but don't go anywhere where we can't see you, understand?" There was a firmness in his tone that was unmistakeable, and he hoped that they would listen carefully and do as he asked. He was giving them a bit of freedom as was required of a new father, but that didn't mean he was fond of it. He ushered himself up to Epiphron's side, nuzzling her cheek affectionately. {Table coded by Lu}

Initially upon awakening, Quintus had dread having to actually move and leave the den when lying at his mother's side had felt so damn good. But his foul mood brightened rather quickly, his puppy temper tantrum coming to an end almost as quickly as it had begun. His sea-green eyes searched the land, watching the grass move as his sister's paws pushed it around. It was really cool -- and felt way better than the hard floor of the den.

His gaze danced to the grey female who arrived, and he grinned at her. "Hi ... lady." Curiously he tilted his head to the side, wrinkling his nose at her innocently. "I'm Quintus. Quintus Nero!" He didn't know why he had two names, but he knew it made him sound way cooler to say them both.. and even cooler to say this full name, but it was still quite a tongue-twisted for the pup.

He laughed gently as he saw that Cassius had retreated quickly beneath their mother, startled by the lady that they hadn't met before. He introduced her, saying she was a good friend. Then: 'you three can explore if you like, but don't go anywhere we can't see you, understand?' He nodded, watching his father. It wasn't frequent any of them were scolded, but then again ... they hadn't had much of a chance to do anything dangerous until now. With a giggle he padded closer to Amalia again, beckoning for Cassius to join them.