He had moved through the time between getting Aureus home and now in a sort of haze, empty and numb except for the spike of pain in his chest that said that his brother was gone. He had tracked down each wolf in the pack, told them of the loss in a flat, distant voice, and sent wolves off to try to find family who had been absent or - like Thalia - living elsewhere, to bring them home to honor Aureus. They had not gotten the chance to do so for their father, Malleus, when he passed. There was no body, no chance to say a final goodbye. Now Aureus had been taken from them as shockingly, as unexpectedly, but they could do for him what they could not for Malleus. They could send him into whatever lay beyond with honor and dignity, as he deserved, though every cell in Eligos' body cried out at the unfairness, that the universe would have taken Aureus in the prime of his life, just when they all had the chance to be happy.

They met as the sun prepared to pass below the horizon, as it quivered there in reds and oranges and turned the world to gold.

He had worked all day, building the pyre on top of the ravine overlooking the cave-pocked seat of the Aerie territories, soaking it with sweet oils, arranging his brother lovingly upon it, set with him offerings to the Fallen God to secure his brother's soul and ensure he would return one day to rejoin their rise to godhood. As the pack and their family gathered, he waited with a metal bowl of oil at his paws, flames dancing over the bowl to flicker eerily off each wolf. He waited, giving them a chance to say goodbye to Aureus, to place an offering if they desired, and to gather around the pyre. He waited, as the sun dipped lower on the horizon. He waited, while the light reflected little flames in his blood-red eyes and each breath was an agony of grief masked behind a somber expression.

OOC: Optional, but let me know if your wolf isn't going to show up so I'm not waiting on you. Feel free to have your wolf put a trinket or flowers or food or whatever on the pyre, or not.

Saren had heard the news that Aureus was dead. He wasn’t destroyed by it but it still felt terrible. The man was originally his mentor and while they hadn’t spent a large amount of time together he still thought well of Aureus. He had tried to help Saren with the knowledge he had and that deserved recognition. Saren mourned for the lost chances and the possibilities that were now gone, Aureus was off to be with the rest of their passed family now, to wherever the descendants of Abraxas went.

Saren took his turn to approach the funeral pyre and placed down a small bundle of herbs. Whispering to himself as well as possibly the spirit of Aureus “Oh what could have been you clever man.” Stepping back to take his place amongst the crowd he took his seat within the solemn atmosphere.

Though she'd gone to fetch Thalia, Fel had made it back to Aerie in record time. Out of breath and thoroughly exhausted,  her paws ached and throbbed from pounding earth repeatedly. She made her way to where Eligos was building the pyre and sat off to the side, keeping her body shrouded in shadow. She wanted to be here with Aureus for as long as she could. Eli would do his part with physical labor and she would do hers spiritually, sending her soul to watch over her brothers vessel until it was consumed by fire. Fel hoped that she would remain unnoticed until the ceremony was to start.

In time the sun began to sidle down below the horizon. Soon the world would be dark. What better time to have a fire? Wolves came and went, offering respect and gifts. Fel had little in the way of possessions, save her collection of soaps and furs. Neither were befitting the deceased man on the pile of oiled wood. No... her gift would be something different. Something important.

Ignoring those around her, the obsidian fae rose from her place. Instantly her paws began to throb, but it didn't matter. Moving silently forward, a silver streaked shadow in a world of gold, she stopped before the pyre. Ruby eyes glittered in the flickering light but they were dry. Her gaze was hard because it had to be. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of these people.

From a sheath attached to her left leg, Fel extracted a small dagger. Her words were soft; only for the ears of the man already rotting before her. "You offered blood for me, now I offer the same for you." Taking the dagger in her left paw, the slender shadow sliced deeply into her right foreleg. Red life began to rush forth, dripping down the wood and puddling beneath. A grin would form as the womans natural sense of humor came into play. "Hopefully a bit of blood will earn you a few perks in the afterlife." Then her gaze hardened once more. "Until we meet again."

Not caring an ounce about the trail if blood that she was leaving, Fel moved through the throng of wolves and out into the ravine. She found a place where she could be alone,
but still had a line of sight with the pyre. There, she would hole up,. She wouldn't leave Aureus until the fire had consumed him completely. It was the least that she could do for him.

Aureus' death hit Iroh hard, his youth and potential suddenly ending in tragedy was nothing anyone could ignore. The Abraxas hadn’t been as close to his cousin as he had been Pyrrhic, but he knew the pride and talent that lived within Aureus and his loss would hit Aerie with a blow that knocked all of them down. Malleus’ demise had been difficult, losing their leader was harsh. He had been at the tail end of the prime of his life, and his successes were numerous. Aureus had only just hit his stride, and could have done so much more for their family.

Fate was a funny thing, and the unfairness of it all made Iroh to sit many nights pondering all of it. He’d sat over his tea and prayed to Abraxas that his soul found safety in the arms of their ancestors. Iroh made his way to the painstakingly built pire their kin now lay lifeless upon. The young man was silent, but his mind prayed fervently for the lost warrior. With a humble grace Iorh place a bound bundle of tea leaves atop a beautiful rabbit skin. The former a personal gift from Iroh and the latter a symbol for Aureus to travel swiftly into the afterlife.

Somberly the massive wolf retreated, his eyes misty before taking up his place to observe and hold vigil.

Her journey back with Fel had been a silent one, though the absence of pointless chatter was hardly something that left either of them uncomfortable. Thalia was often a wolf of few words, especially when words were not needed. Aureus was dead, and they needed to spend time mourning his departure from this world in whatever way was possible. She understood what it meant to really honor him, to carry on his legacy - to grow as Abraxas and prove their greatness would do just that - but she didn't know how to grieve for him. Should she even stay in Abaven now? Would her family need her here more than there? Or would she be doing Aureus a disservice by abandoning her plans just because of this. She hadn't known Aureus very well but he'd struck her as dutiful as any Abraxas should be. He wouldn't want their entire lives to be permanently uprooted because of his untimely passing.

But for now, she'd return home and grieve with her family. She hadn't even stopped to tell Theory where she was going, deciding she would understand when she returned. By the time they reached the ravine, Thalia was exhausted. They'd spent the full day traveling and her body ached for sleep, but she wouldn't give in to its demands. There were more important matters to tend to. She spent the hours before dusk preparing something for Aureus herself. They hadn't had the opportunity to properly say goodbye to Malleus, and in a way she wondered if this was a funeral for him as much as it was for Aureus. Mulling over her thoughts, she'd decided to fetch something she'd left behind to lay on his grave. Once the sun fell and engulfed the lands in darkness, save for the funeral pyre Eligos had crafted. Stealing a glance toward her brother, she took a moment to approach the pyre as she laid down a single cherry blossom, a gift given to her by Saren so long ago. She had treasured it then, just as Aureus had been treasured, in life as well as in death. Thalia bowed her head and was silent for a long moment before slipping away, making way for the next wolf.

Only a single bend in the Ravine's many twists separated Pyrrhic from where his brother was to be put to rest. He'd stopped to catch his breath, not out of physical weariness but out of emotional fatigue. Pyrrhic hadn't seen his brother since before the accident and it was for that reason his loss didn't feel quite real yet. He kept getting this sense of urgency as though he could save Aureus if he hurried. It was strange how that feeling didn't even mean anything. Nothing could have been done to save Aureus. Not that day and certainly not this one. So why then did he feel as though he could? Knowing, as he did, there was nothing he could do left him feeling frustrated.

That wasn't the only feeling he was struggling with. There were points where he simply couldn't wrap his head around his brother's death and he was forced to marvel grimly at the strangeness of it. Again, he hadn't seen the body. It just didn't feel possible. Aureus was young and strong with his whole life ahead of him. That was what was holding him back now. If he laid eyes on the body then he couldn't pretend anymore. He would have no choice but to accept the loss and that just didn't seem right. It felt sacrilegious as though he was doing his brother a disservice by acknowledging his death. But that wasn't how this worked, was it? His brother was dead. He needed to feel that.

After taking a deep breath Pyrrhic picked up the memento he brought for Aureus. He rounded the bend with a lump in his throat that only seemed to grow with each step. For several feet his eyes stayed glued to the ground and then he forced himself to look. Aureus. The sight broke his heart all over again and Pyrrhic had to pause to collect himself. He reminded himself that he needed to do this and closed his eyes hard as though to force the idea to stick. This was good-bye; the last time he was ever going to see his brother on this plane. He needed this.

Pyrrhic stepped up to the pyre and gently placed the bag of game pieces at his brother's paws. They were the first pieces Pyrrhic had ever made. There was absolutely nothing special about them. They were crude prototypes; simple, plain, worthless rocks. But Pyrrhic had kept them. He'd kept them even after he'd made better ones. After he'd carved and polished set after intricate set. He'd kept them not for their appearance or their utility. Pyrrhic had kept them for the memories attached to them. The first time he'd used them was with Aureus. The cave they'd been forced to share that day wasn't much but it had protected them from the elements. They'd grown bored waiting out the storm and opted to play a game. The cave may have been damp and they may have been bored out of their minds, but it was a fond memory. It had meant a lot to Pyrrhic. No, not past tense. Aureus may have been gone but Pyrrhic's fondness was not. It meant a lot to him.

He wanted to say he was sorry, which was an odd thing for someone who played no role in the accident to want to say, but the words were on the tip of his tongue as he considered his twin's peaceful face. What was he sorry for? For being a bad leader? For yelling at him that day? No. Those days were long behind them. Why then? What did he have to be sorry about?

It seemed silly to say 'I'm sorry you're dead' and those, unfortunately, were some of the only words he felt capable of forming. One other phrase came to mind, one he didn't want to say out loud since the intend, the only one whose opinion mattered, couldn't hear them. "Good-bye, Aureus," he thought, hoping, maybe, the feeling that went with it could somehow transcend the veil. Pyrrhic tapped one of the boughs with a paw and then backed up a few steps so others could approach without feeling smothered by his presence. He would stay here by his twin until it was time to send him off.

Asmodeus wasn't sure if he'd attend the funeral at all, not until it was almost too late. He'd never been to a funeral before and certainly not one that he'd indirectly caused. His heart sank to see all the loved ones gathered, presenting to Aureus gifts to take with him into the afterlife. The guilt was overwhelming and he felt as if the moment he walked up to the pyre that all eyes would be upon him and judging him for their beloved family member's death. In his mouth he carried the one possession that meant anything to him - his quill, gifted to him by Aoife. Deus had nothing else to offer the man who'd saved his life, and while it hurt to think of watching the quill burn to ash he knew death must hurt worse. On oversized paws he padded up to the pyre, his lip quivering hard as he thought back to the earthquake and the two wolves who ensured he made it out alive. He placed the quill down upon the pile with the other gifts. "This was given to me by my best friend. I think she'd have wanted you to have it instead, uncle." The pup's eyes began to fill with tears and he lifted a paw to hastily swipe them away. "I'm so sorry. It should have been me." It took all his strength to turn his back on his uncle's corpse, and his head hung between his shoulders as he approached his alpha uncle. "Uhm, I-" He stuttered, needing to steel himself to force his concern to words. "I'm sorry." No apologies could fix this, but it felt odd to approach a grieving man with a favor without at least acknowledging his loss. "Where did you put Eliphas' body? He was Aureus' f-friend. Aureus loved him, they should go to Abraxas together." His ears fell flat to his skull, his tail tucking slightly. Had they even thought to collect the other wolf's corpse? Deus had been in shock, he couldn't remember if he told them how important it was that Eliphas receive a goodbye, too. "Speech" "Thinking" "You."

Proserpina She hung back from the gathering, though she'd been present from the beginning, watching as Eligos built and lit the pyre. Her brother was dead. Although she wasn't the child of Malleus and Serene, she had been raised alongside their pups when her own mother abandoned her. Eligos, Aureus, Amaris, Felicity...they were more than just cousins. They were practically her siblings. Malleus had taken her under his wing when she felt like she had nobody else, and it had pained her immensely when he had passed away. The only difference was...they were unable to recover Malleus and give him a proper send-off. But Aureus? His body was here. Lifeless. A young life was gone too soon. She knew Eligos was hurting. Knew they were all hurting. She watched as one by one, they approached the pyre and left their offerings. She glanced down to the stag pelt she had. It was a brown and white piebald pelt. The first of its kind she had ever seen. She had tracked the elusive beast for days, and when she had finally caught it, she skinned it and took its antlers. She had been saving it so she could make herself a nice set of armor and weapons...but...it seemed more fitting that Aureus have the rarity she had found. It was, after all, one of a kind. Just like him... She carefully picked it up in her jaws and weaved her through the group until she stood beside the pyre. Her eyes glistened with tears, but she dared not cry just yet. Her attention was solely on him, and ever so carefully, she placed the bundle beside him and watched as the fire consumed it. "Travel safely, Brother." Her breath hitched as she swallowed past the lump forming in her throat. While she had come to terms that he was dead...it still hurt to know that she'd never see him again. After a few moments, she turned towards Eligos when he was done with Asmodeus. She held his gaze for a moment, sharing in the sorrow they both felt before she reached forward to touch her nose to his cheek. "I am sorry, Eligos..." She wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to reassure him that Aureus was walking with their God now...but there was a slight prickle of doubt since Malleus had been so cruelly taken from them. Even so, she hoped with her entire being that they were both up there together. Two of the Abraxas Gods greatest warriors. When she was done, she returned to the others and sat among them. Sitting still as the tears finally did begin to fall in silence.

He wasn't sure how to feel or think about this. He felt...indifferent. Then again, he was kind of used to death at this point. His mother died. Malleus. And now Aureus. While he hadn't gotten to really know him, he did know that Aureus had been one of Aerie's greatest warriors. And now, he was going to ascend to be with the greatest of the greats. The Lord Abraxas himself. He waited behind the others as they all approached and left their offerings and last words to him. He wasn't much of the social type, but even he knew when a fallen warrior deserved respect. So to show him, Zagan had brought a knife made from obsidian that he had crafted himself. When the way was clear, the dark male made his way to the pyre, sparing a glance to Eligos as he nodded his sympathy.

Turning back to the Pyre, the youth placed the knife and briefly watched as the flames licked at it before he turned to allow for someone else to approach if they chose. He spotted his brother but was hesitant to approach him. They hadn't spent much time together for a long while now...but he felt maybe his brother was hurting a good deal. Feeling bad about that, he decided to offer his silent comfort. He moved to sit with him. Gently touching his shoulder to Iroh's. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Not just the fact they had lost Aureus, but for everything. He knew it wouldn't be enough, but...he was starting to ache for some form of bond that he hadn't quite cared for since their mother had died...