Were it not so easy to reach the borders, he might easily have skipped over this pack. Any further and it would have been entirely out of his path, but thankfully it was a short walk to reach an ideal spot. The pale trees were some ways away now, looming in the distance. Nearly lost among the sea of tall grasses, which reminded him of the first pack he'd visited. There was no wall here, though. Only the musk of many strong wolves and recently marked borders. Having just left their neighbour's borders, it seemed unlikely these wolves hadn't heard him calling out in the morning. However, by the time he'd made his way over, the sun was beginning to descend into early afternoon heights. They could easily have dismissed his presence earlier, and would only now be aware that he was making the rounds. Slim paws slipped with careful steps through the grasses, until he found himself at a respectful distance from the edges of their well established boundary lines. There was a bit of a breeze rustling the tall grasses, and keeping him from reaching the point where he'd be actively panting from the heat. The obsidian male took a moment to collect himself, before tipping back his head to summon an audience with those in charge of the pack. With the sun high overhead, and no clouds to blot it out, his vision was more than clear enough to leave him comfortable in his surroundings. He hoped he could find shelter soon enough, and be able to settle before it got truly dark. Being half blind in unfamiliar lands was not where he wanted to find himself right now. ooc. anyone is welcome to come interrogate Absinthe about the Underground Market going down, or ignore him entirely! DM me on discord with any questions, or check out the plot page! "speech" STEP IN LINE, EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE

The Warlord raised his head at the sound of a call at his border. The early afternoon came with a faint breeze off the ocean. Rustling through the coat of the tall Armada leader. Mort’s Kea had been pestering him for the past hour or so, her long, mischievous beak cracked open as she sank to the Warlord. He had tried a few times to swipe at the blasted creature, but she swooped easily from his reach. Shaking his head, and turning from her. Truth was, he was glad for a distraction. The scent of salt in his nostrils, he turned from his perch in the sandy territory, and hopped up the bank to the grassy plains. From here it was only a light trott to take him to the border

He found the wolf waiting patiently there, with monochrome tones that weren’t too different from Sirius. However, the slashes across his eyes were scars, unlike Seer's own. Stopping on his side of the border, he turned his eyes to the stranger. “I am Sirius Fatalis, the Warlord here. What brings you to my borders?”

"Sirius Fatalis"

Blessedly, the young servant was not kept waiting at the borders for long. To his carefully masked alarm, an immense figure cut its way through the tall grasses. Dark as the night sky, with fangs that were likely long enough to gut a wolf, should they have the chance. A brilliant sapphire gaze turned upon him, the behemoth spoke. “I am Sirius Fatalis, the Warlord here. What brings you to my borders?” He most certainly was a warlord, wasn't he? What other role could one expect a man of that stature and brawn to fill? Intentionally neutral expression shifted into a polite smile, accompanied by a gracious dip of his head towards his chest. "Good afternoon, Warlord, my name is Absinthe. I have come on my master's behalf to extend his invitation to you and your people." the onyx servant began, Slavic accent toying with the tones of his vowels and soft consonants. "He will be hosting a market in the north for the remainder of the autumn season, and invites you to join. We have brought all manner of goods from many of the lands we visited this year, as well as well trained servants available to those with the means to acquire them." the speech rolled off his dark tongue with practiced ease, having delivered this message a few times since his... initial acquisition by Augustus. As much as he enjoyed the facsimile of diplomatic engagement with the many leaders he spoke with, it occasionally made him homesick. "There will also be games of chance and skill hosted in the evenings, if you and your people are the gambling sorts, and you are encouraged to bring your own contenders for the small game fighting ring that runs every night, should that interest you." the offer was paired with a slight quirk of the brow, there and gone in the blink of an eye. Brimstone gaze swept over the Warlord's features, curiously seeking to read the emotions that might slide across them. "speech" STEP IN LINE, EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE

He leaned back on his hunches and listened as the smaller wolf began to speak. His accented tones rolling easily over well practised words. It was quickly apparent that Sirius was dealing with an underling, to whatever event this man had come here to promote. He had already recently acquired a servant, but there were other goods to buy, and as well as other entertainment that might prove interesting. The Warlord loathed to admit it, but the Armada was running slim on fresh meat. Perhaps there would be flesh to purchase that could fill his ranks. He wasn’t after a servant, but servitute could be appreciated so long as they were also willing to learn.

“And who is this Master you speak of?” The Warlord asked softly after he had heard him out. He would have the name of the wolf that ran these events, so he was not walking into something blind. “I will admit, I am intrigued by what you are offering.”


"Sirius Fatalis"

The self assurance that bled from the motion of the titanic male leaning back onto his haunches was picked up by a well trained gaze. Attentive gaze locked with his own, Sirius listened intently and did not interrupt. A model leader, really. More often than not he was interrupted with a thousand questions or threats of violence when he stumbled too close to a raider's territories. Instead, he was being met with civility. What a breath of fresh air. “And who is this Master you speak of?” the Warlord finally enquired with an even voice. “I will admit, I am intrigued by what you are offering.” he added, and this bade well for the potential of the market. With a soft incline of his chin, he acknowledged the man's concerns. "His name is Augustus," Absinthe began simply, leaving the most important piece of information for him to gnaw on as he continued into an explanation intended to put the massive male more at ease. "he will be present for the entirety of the market, though he will merely be observing to ensure our people remain well behaved, and customers do not overstep. He prefers to keep out of the spotlight, I'm sure you can understand why." auds tipped back respectfully, hellfire optics were framed by pinched brows as he sought to soothe the concerns of a potential guest to the market. "Shall I inform my master to expect a visit from you and your people sometime soon?" he questioned with a slight tilt of his head, merely hoping to further gauge Sirius' interest in attending. "speech" STEP IN LINE, EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE

Augustus. The name was not familiar to the Warlord, and there was no bad blood between this man and the Armada. With that in mind, he let a smirk slip across his muzzle as the messenger explained how this overlord would be taking a more behind the scenes role. He was interested to see what sort of strength this man could bring forth to keep his men in line…

“You may.” He agreed graciously, considering who he would take with him on such a venture. “Tell me a little more about the wares I might find there. If I was looking for some promising wolves that I could train to add to my warriors rank?”

"Sirius Fatalis"

The affirmative from the goliath was filed away at the back of his mind, and the once-prince felt a modicum of relief that he wouldn't be returning to his master empty-pawed. The sly smirk that slid over those chiseled features drew his eye, hellfire optics tracing the curves and crinkles of his visage. For such a powerful man, he seemed to be no stranger to kindness and mirth. Those lines were well worn, and resumed their place upon his face with ease. “Tell me a little more about the wares I might find there. If I was looking for some promising wolves that I could train to add to my warriors rank?” he rumbled the question with some of the ease he often saw mirrored in his master, well aware of his hold on the conversation. Brimstone gaze lifted briefly towards the moving grasses at the Warlord's back, following the undulating waves as the breeze moved them. There was a mental list that needed to be consulted, a running inventory he had kept from the unpacking process. "There will be several different stalls located across the main antechamber," he began, earnest gaze drifting back to the ebony male. Charcoal tipped tail flicked lightly as he thought of the first items on his list. "of course there will be some preserved delicacies from the various regions we've visited, weapons and armour, furs and pelts from all manner of strange beasts, precious metals and jewelry we've collected along the way," it was only a small taste of what they had brought ashore, but in all honesty it would take him far too long to offer an itemized list to the poor Warlord, who would likely have grown bored before he was even halfway through. "and yes, there will be more than enough slaves for you to take your pick of. The majority of our captives are better suited to menial labour and tending to chores, but there are a few who would make excellent soldiers." he assured the titan before him with a rueful smile toying at the corners of his dark maw. "Please don't hesitate to seek me out if you find the service of our people lacking, I would be more than happy to ensure your experience is satisfactory." he added, dipping his head respectfully. There was a great deal of emphasis being placed on return clients in his master's intentions with this market, and Absinthe would certainly be punished if the experience of the clientele pushed them away from returning again. "speech" STEP IN LINE, EVERYTHING WILL BE JUST FINE