Sorrow has sunk deep into his bones by now, weary and mournful of a future that would never come to pass. He'd always expected to take up his mother's mantle, and continue living his life the same as he had for the entirety of his life thus far. It was not meant to be, and in the dead of night he found himself tossing and turning, desperate for respite from his racing thoughts. Midnight came and went, though he was not aware, and he finally gave up on sleep. There had been no time for farewells or anything of the like. He wanted to say his goodbyes to at least one of his cousins, who he'd grown close to in the short while since he'd started roaming openly across the territories of his former pack. Careful paws drew him away from his sleeping family, towards the edge of the swamp they'd settled in. By the time he emerged from the misty treeline, mud speckled his chest and belly, coated the lower half of each limb. The amethyst marked boy didn't care much, and instead he tipped back his head to let out a low, mournful call. It was late at night, and they were already so far away from the palace on the archipelago. Against all odds, Pontifex still hoped his pale furred cousin might hear him. He feared retribution if he snuck back towards the borders, and dared not to cross them in search of Ikigai. No doubt the patrols would catch his scent and hunt him down, which would end poorly for everyone if he was caught. "speech" BURN BRIGHT LIKE THE MIDNIGHT SUN

A gentle shaking roused the young princess from her sleep. Ikigai blinked heavy lids before turning to look at Willa, the white, antlered feline. The cat whispered to Iki and the princess curled her neck to look towards the doorway. There was a howl for her? Rising from her sleeping place in the pile of furs, the pallid fae slid into a lightweight kimono of silver silk before making her way out of the palace and towards the swamp. Noticing the movement of Ashen royalty, a pack of akitas in varying shades accompanied the girl as she left Ashen lands and continued her trek. Who might have called for her specifically? Her first thought was the boy from the north. He had seemed a little cheeky and had promised to call on her again. Iki continued moving, expecting to see Cinaed, but instead, she was greeted by the sight of her cousin, Pontifex.

"Pontifex," the girls clear, soft tones called out to him as she drew near. Toxicity and her children had left immediately after the disagreement with the Empress. Pontifex wasn't forced to leave, but how could a child abandon its mother? Iki wished that he had stayed though. She would miss her cousin terribly. It didn't stop them from being family though. Iki would always treasure him.

Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas

Once the last echoes of his howl faded from his hearing, the godling had slowly folded his muddied haunches and settled into what could only be called a slouch. Shoulders drooping forward, tail curled loosely against an alabaster speckled thigh, expression painfully somber. This had been a truly traumatic day for him, everything he knew was lost and ascension weighted heavily on his mind as of late. Before he could begin to sink into the slow despair that had been quick to claim him lately, the sound of movement reached his tall auds. Charcoal ears flickered, searching for the direction in which it had come. He smelled the pack of dogs before he saw them, and then their eyes were glowing in the underbrush as they settled into the shadows. Then, there was Ikigai. in the brisk chill of an early winter evening, she had chosen to drape herself in a light garment that he didn't recognize. However, he could hardly blame her for it. As the mud cooled against his legs, the cold was becoming far more evident. "Pontifex," she said simply as her petite bodice passed into the clearing. Behind his eyes, he could feel tears beginning to burn. No, he wouldn't cry, that was stupid. Instead, he rose to his feet, propriety clinging to him like a burr against his flesh. A small dip of his head in greeting, politely acknowledging the kindness he was offering by showing up. "Ikigai.." he replied softly, his deepening voice catching momentarily in his throat. Dropping his gaze to his mud stained paws, he sucked in a small breath. "Mother says we'll be travelling across Boreas now, to see what God made for us here." he said, though he wasn't sure why he did. What did it matter? The point was made, the wolves of Ashen did not care for God, or for him and his family. His tail flicked nervously across his tall heels, his weight shifting anxiously as he tried to fight the urge to flee into the trees again. "I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you.." he added- the true purpose of his call. With the admission hanging in the cool, dark air, he finally lifted his two-toned gaze to her features and offered a tiny, sad smile. "speech" BURN BRIGHT LIKE THE MIDNIGHT SUN

Her cousin's words saddened Iki as he spoke of what his mother had planned for him. He admitted that he would miss her and Iki wanted nothing more than to rush to him and embrace him. It wasn't very princess-like, but that's exactly what she did. Shrugging off the kimono as it was grabbed by the gnarled branches, the pallid princess closed the distance between them and pulled Pontifex into her embrace. He admitted that he would miss her, but that went both ways. "I'm going to miss you too. I'm so sorry." Though he fought tears, the delicate young lady couldn't fight her own. Droplets began to cascade from red rimmed eyes as she placed her snowy cheek against the boys obsidian chest. Her forelegs were wrapped around him and she held on as she softly cried.

To Ikigai, it was wrong that Pontifex was forced to leave the only home that he'd ever known. The girl understood why the battle between their mother's had been important, but everyone would suffer now. Iki and Pontifex most of all.

Drawing back, the girl searched her cousin's face with damp eyes. There was such a deep sadness within their mercuric depths and it was a sadness that she was incapable of hiding with her mask of royalty. "Promise me that you won't forget me, okay?"

Okiku Ikigai Ōritsu Abraxas

Surprising him with her boldness, Ikigai shrugged off her garments and slipped free of the silken embrace to rush forward. Though she was a fair bit smaller than himself, she reared up onto her hind legs and wrapper her pale forelimbs around his slim neck. Even his own sisters weren't so readily affectionate with him, and it shook him up for a moment. "I'm going to miss you too. I'm so sorry." his cousin murmured into the fur of his chest and neck, followed by the soft sounds of sorrow. A few quiet sniffles, and she buried her features into the dark fur of his chest. One of his own ebon forelimbs lifted hesitantly, his pale violet gaze fixated on the drying mud that painted it. He couldn't sully her pristine fur like that, it wasn't right. Instead, he lowered his narrow head to tuck her head and neck beneath his jaw. A careful tilt of his head kept her from being caught with one of those long, deadly fangs, and he pressed his cheek against the back of her neck. Ikigai's mournful crying only seemed to escalate from there, a warm sensation of dampness spreading through the fur of his chest as his fur soaked up the steadily falling tears. As she pulled away, the godling lifted his head to let her move. She did not relinquish her hold on his neck, but he didn't mind. His sisters were all quite a bit bigger than her, and so he didn't find himself straining under her weight at all. Her glassy silver eyes held his, their faces barely a few inches apart. She looked so sad, he almost wished he hadn't called for her. It wasn't fair to make her feel this way, she didn't deserve it. Purple brows pinched together as he sniffed lightly, desperately fighting the fresh wave of sorrow that washed over him. It felt so horribly selfish to put her through this, all for his own desperate need for comfort as he clung to memories of a life he was no longer allowed to lead. "Promise me that you won't forget me, okay?" she pleaded softly, mercurial gaze glistening with fresh, unshed tears. He bobbed his head mutely, choking on the sob that threatened to force its way up his throat. Blinking away a few tears, they rolled silently down his cheeks while he sucked in a deep breath. "I wouldn't dare," the godling promised with a sad smile. "You don't hate me?" he questioned, auds tipping back anxiously as he surveyed her expression. After all of this, and the way their mothers had fought, he wouldn't have been surprised to have sat here all night, cold and alone. He had followed Toxicity's orders when she had pulled the small family from the territory, and he felt a pang of guilt for thoughtlessly marching away. Clearly Ikigai was made of stronger stuff, willing to disregard the potential orders of her mother to attack on sight if she ever saw them again. What had become of their family, in the last few days? "speech" HER EYES LOOK SHARP AND STEADY, INTO THE EMPTY PARTS OF ME

Pontifex rested his neck over Ikigai's shuddering frame, holding her close as she released the pent up sorrow within her. She'd felt terrible from the moment that Toxicity had taken her children and left and felt partly responsible for the event. Had she not approached her mother with fears and doubts about her aunt? There was a buildup of guilt in the girl. It was made worse because she cared so deeply for her cousin. Iki had a better relationship with Pont than with most of her own siblings. It killed her inside that he was forced to leave with his mother.

As she drew back and searched his face, asking for his promise, Iki could see the emotion welling up within him. This was so wrong. Neither of them had done anything to deserve such painful heartache. All she wanted was to keep her loved ones close and safe, yet Pontifex was about to embark upon a journey that would lead him far, far away from her. The pale princess's throat burned and clenched tightly as she fought the sobs that beat at her chest, begging to be let out.

Pontifex assured her that he would never forget her an Iki forced a smile, the lifting of her cheeks causing a fresh welling of tears to overflow. His next questioned shocked her and Iki's mouth fell open. The girl shook her head vehemently. "Never! No matter how angry our mothers are at each other, that has nothing to do with us. You're my family, Pontifex," she assured him, strength filling her words. "I could never hate you." Never in a million years.

Lifting one delicate paw, Iki wiped the tears from her cousins amaranthine and obsidian cheeks. "No matter what happens or where our paths take us, we'll always be family. I'll always come when you call. I promise." Just because their mothers were at war didn't mean that they had to be. If it was forbidden that she see Pontifex, well... even the best of them had to break rules once in their lives, right?

"X"