Toxicity left to her shrine and called upon her kids, Calamity and Obi. "We will leave this shrine," she started as she gathered things. "and we will take the name Fallen, as our Fallen God who will guide us from this place." Obi heard the call and began to help pack essentials- the oils, the sigil orbs, the jerky for the road. Nothing was forgotten and the shrine was cleaned. She would not desecrate this place, nor make a mockery of that which she held dear. "Come now, children, we have much to discuss and now that you are a year old, it is time to ascend." ""

The booming summons of his mother echoed through the woods, and the boy knew immediately that something was wrong. He had avoided the meeting she had announced earlier, where she intended to punish the absentee cousins who had missed the sermons. Though he knew well and truly that her duty as a religious leader within the pack bade her do such things, he didn't want to see the sorrow on his cousins' faces or the possible fallout. Based on the harsh edge in the howl as it met his ears, it appeared something had gone wrong. Hallux took flight from her perch between his narrow shoulders, scouting ahead to see what was happening around the Shrine proper. Slender limbs pushed the wraith forward at a dead sprint, anxiety tightening around his heart like a vice grip. Dark claws tore up the soil underfoot as he raced home, panic urging him forward until he could see the familiar structure looming before him. There was no sign or scent of blood, though anxiety had strained his lungs throughout his run and his breathing was ragged. He pushed through the door with wide eyes, searching for the source of his mother's stress. "We will leave this shrine," Toxicity started, and Pontifex instantly felt his stomach drop. What? Leave home? How could she simply uproot them from the place they'd been born? "and we will take the name Fallen, as our Fallen God who will guide us from this place." she finished the sentence with even more alarming words than it had began with, causing the waifish boy to pin his ears flat to his skull. Fallen? Not Abraxas? He didn't understand. Keen eyes picked up the smattered blood and tufts of loose fur along his mother's larger form, where she had clearly seen battle, and recently. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he took another step forward. Now was the time for action, not questions, so it seemed. Hallux swooped elegantly through the gap in the door, landing on the stone floor with a click of her talons. "Let me help- I will carry some of those bags." he said softly as he slunk closer to Obi and dipped his narrow skull forth so that the nimble primate could slip a few of the bags filled with all of the family's worldly possessions over his head to hang around his neck and shoulders. Toxicity was careful and deliberate with each move, though the short and rapid movements of her muscles when she moved betrayed her emotional state. He danced around the bodies of the other members of the Shrine's inhabitants, his sisters and his aunt mostly. They moved quickly, working to empty their entire life from its stores and shelves. The boy was worried for his mother, and couldn't help but begin to imagine what might have happened at that meeting with the Empress and Shogun. When all was said and done, it felt so horribly empty within the Shrine, cold and barren despite the warm stone beneath his paws. "Come now, children, we have much to discuss and now that you are a year old, it is time to ascend." the finality with which his mother spoke left no room for argument or dissent, and so the boy quietly followed his mother's lead with his head bowed and his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Hallux took wing, thoughtlessly choosing to act as a scout for the outcast group of wolves. "speech" BURN BRIGHT LIKE THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Modesty had been on the shore, watching the chestnut kite drive for fish, his sharp eyes seeing what she could not just below the surface of the water. Much like her brother, she had heard her mother’s summons for their cousins, and aunt and uncle. She contemplated what possible outcome there could be of such a meeting while she watched the bird enjoy his catch. What she hadn’t expected was a call for herself and her siblings so soon afterwards. The kite seemed quite attached to her now, and when she moved to answer the call, he too, took wing.

Pontifex had arrived first, and she offered a companionable bump to his shoulder as her mother began to speak. Leave? This place was all she had ever known, it was only recently she had even dared to leave the island. Her recent visit to the Armada still standing out clearly in her mind. Although, she supposed, how ever were they to spread the word of their god if they were holed up behind pack borders? They would be more accessible this way, and the word could spread further with their aid. The girl was inexplicably excited. Surely this was a better purpose than rotting away with heretics?

When Pontifex moved to be loaded up with bags, Modesty moved in behind him, to take on her own load. There was much to be done, and talk of ascension. She was ready.

 

"Speech"

heard you’re new in town

It would have been hard to miss that something was fraying between her mother and aunt but Faith knew well enough to keep herself out from underfoot. But that didn't mean she'd been expecting what was to come. As far as the young soon-to-be former Abraxas was concerned the next thing they were going to be called for was the next step in their faith journey, finally getting to meet Archon. But she, like her brother, was also aware of her mother's task of dealing with her missing cousins. So the call that rang out for them was disconcerting to say the least, that the cousins who had bothered to keep up with their familial duties were not called set the young girl's hair on edge. The girl was warry as she approached. Toxicty started to explain what had happened and a sort of numbness settled over the girl. Her dual toned eyes opened wide and her jaw unlocked slightly, though she was not gaping. Though like her siblings the young woman would also make to take up a load, and help the small group leave... leave the only world she'd ever known behind. But that wasn't the part that had driven itself into her mind like an icicle... No, it was the idea she was to give up her name, an official connection to the fallen god. "Speech"