Now that they had officially settled into their permanent home and everyone had been given ample time to set up their homes here she decided it was time for them to start considering the future. Her ultimate goal for creating the pack had been fulfilled—simply having a place where her family could gather and be safe was all she could truly ask for. However, since they had the ability to do more with this pack that they had built together she felt like they should. They could build each other up, improve each other's skills, enrich the traditions of their family to include the found family that they were creating here. She had ideas for where she'd like for the pack to head toward, but she wanted everyone the whole pack's input. She would have the ultimate say, but if she was making decisions that not everyone wanted or agreed with then it would just be an uphill battle getting everyone to participate.

It was around mid day when she walked with Alastor down to the cleared out area by the lake that had long been designated as the pack's meeting and gathering area. Ever since the first meeting she had held here to regroup after her loss to the pirate wolf and her group of loud, rowdy miscreants this had been where she imagined they would always come together as a group. She had cleared off a raised piece of slate that perhaps fallen off of the near by mountains ages ago and made that a platform of sorts for her and Alastor to sit upon while she addressed the pack. It was only slightly raised, maybe a foot or two at its highest point, but it was enough for her to see everyone clearly as they gathered around. Taking her place on the platform, she settled back onto her haunches and gave Alastor a grin before lifting her head to let out a howl, calling the pack to her so they could truly mark the beginning of Elysium as a pack.

"Manea Mendacium"

Observant and watchful as ever, Avacyn noticed her parents leaving the den from where her workshop was toward the entrance of the family's shared caverns. She had overheard her mother discussing some plans and ideas with her father here and there so she had been expecting her to call a meeting any day now and sure enough after a short stretch of silence she heard Manea calling from the pack's meeting place. She smiled a little and sat down the serrated fang caps she was perfecting so that she could go to join her parents at the meeting. It was a short walk from their dens to the clearing at the edge of the lake and she wasn't surprised that she was the first to arrive since she had been more or less sitting in wait for it to happen. The responsibility of being the heir to the pack and their family's matriarchal position certainly didn't escape her and she put perhaps a bit too much pressure on herself to do little things that would make it known that she cared—things like showing up to meetings early. She settled on the ground right beside the stone platform her parents were sitting on, looking up at her father that was at her right side and giving him a smile before she looked back out toward the rest of the pack lands to watch for the rest of their family and pack members to arrive.

"Avacyn Mendacium"

Being the Genetrix's husband had its perks. As such, Alastor knew all of Manea's thoughts, schemes, and plans well ahead of everyone else in Elysium, and often helped her finalize her ideas before they were put into action. This was one such case. Manea had shared her desire to strengthen their pack's hold on their lands, improve their members' skills, and make Elysium a force to be reckoned with. After the teasing and taunting from the scurvy curs almost a year ago that still burned an anger in his heart, he couldn't agree with his mate more. The stronger they were, the more the world would respect their name.

So with the decision made, Alastor followed Manea out of their cave and down to a clearing beside Alias Lake. He saw a flash of purple when his daughter raced along to join them, giving her a warm toothy smile and nuzzling her forehead with his own. She had gotten so big, so fast! When the family arrived down at the lake, Manea took up her spot atop a large slab of slate and called for the pack. Alastor assumed his position to Manea's right side, returning her grin, her right hand wolf primed and ready to support her and fight for her. Not that he suspected there would be any objections to her desires and plans, but Alastor dared any wolf to make a move for Manea when a veritable mountain of muscle and teeth was seated right beside her. With the call out, he waited quietly, all smiles and barely contained madness.

"Alastor Mendacium"

Relm had been doing her work for the pack behind the scenes and really starting to just embrace her responsibility and duty to the pack. Her and Manea may have been a little rocky since the events in Kefka's death but she didn't blame her for any hard feelings if there were any and wouldn't go crying out on bullying or misunderstanding. That was silly and completely out of the park. She had made more amends with Alastor though, and spent some time with Kichi. Otherwise she was silent in the backs of the pack but made sure they were fed and protected. She was getting used to this life.

Manea's call came out across the island and Relm made her way along the banks of the lake where she had been resting. She came before the two alphas and kin under her cloak, taking a seat but mostly avoiding eye contact with both of them or anyone else who would have arrived, or maybe besides Kichi if he approached her. She was still a little uncomfortable around Manea, but she was really that way with most anyone. Siting before both Alastor and Manea together definitely pushed her boundaries.

"Speech"

Ricin is exploring the rocky landscape near the brothers den today, poking his head into small cervices to sniff out anything that could be hiding. The call from Manea catches the large, almost yearling, with nose between two rocks. Quickly pulling back, Ricin plops his butt on the ground to rub the dirt and debris off his muzzle. His brother is out doing… something so the lighter boy makes his way to meeting area, half expecting Chade to have already beaten him there. As he approaches the clearing, the pup only spies one other wolf, besides the alpha’s and heir, in the meeting area and his heart sinks. Ricin hates doing new things alone without his brother by his side. Still, pushing his comfort zone can be a good thing… right?

Moving forward, Ricin gives Manea and Alastor a respectful short bow before turning to flash Avacyn a wide grin and give her a small bow. With that, the light boy retreats backward, deciding to sit with the only other wolf how has appeared. The cloaked form looks uncomfortable being here and Ricin sidles up next to her and plops his butt down while offering the wolf a warm smile. The young wolf leans in slightly toward the other wolf to whisper, “This is my first meeting. Am I doing it right?” There is a nervous air about the boy, his ruby gaze darting around in search of Chade while he tries to comfortable next to the cloaked lady.


"Ricin Dauner"

Kichi had been patrolling the island, as much for doing diligent check on the border as the fact he had spent a lot of his life roaming about alone with just Torch at his side.  So at points it was good to separate from others so that it was just Torch and Kichi on their own as they roamed the landscape.

Hearing Manea’s call he glanced in the direction it had come from, pondering what this was to be about.  Well, exact details would come soon enough after he showed up. “C’mon Torch.”  Kichi headed towards the spot of land, a tail sway once and grin directed at Alastor but this wasn’t the time to go say hi.  This was a meeting and Kichi wasn’t part of hosting this thing.  Thank goodness.

Not many wolves had shown up yet.  One was a pup he had met a ways back and the other was Relm.  Making his way towards the two he glanced down at the blue pup, “hey kid.”  It wasn’t a cheery greeting really, just a simple acknowledgment.  Looks like he had lived after their meeting and who would have thought he was in the same pack as Al? The same pack as Relm too.  Life sure did have odd twists and turns to throw at you.

Kichi took a seat near Relm.  Aside from Alastor, it was Relm he got along with the easiest.  The two had a simple understanding of one another with no expectations of standards that had to be met.  Neither one was a social sort and in some sort of way that meant they worked out well together.

Torch, the little fanged water deer came along behind and looked to Relm and Ricin.  The deer knew Relm well enough by now so it instead choose to stare up at Ricin and gave a small bark as if testing how this strange wolf and he would relate.  Certainly, Torch had no fear of the giant wolf.

"Kichi"

Chade had been out with Swift for hunting lessons.  The boy was quickly learning the cheetah had its own style of hunting but it still needed experience.  She was faster than any land animal he had ever seen and able to turn on a pebble!  Her main problem seemed to be confidence and quick decisions on what to do so practice were the key factor.

Swift had just missed an attempt to catch a rabbit when the call came from Manea.  They’d have to go for another attempt on another day.  “Let’s go!”

Chade and Swift ran quickly to the growing gathering of wolves.  Trotting up he moved to sit next to Ricin, casting a grin at his brother, “Hey Ry,  I didn’t miss anything right?  Teaching Swift how to hunt!” Hunting was fun as was having a hunting companion to share the task with and it had him in a good mood to show up with.  

The cheetah sat down the opposite side of Chade and gave the lighter-colored brother a nod in greeting.  “I’m trying.” She still had a ways to go and she knew it but like both the pups she was growing at a good pace.

"Chade"

Nirvana had been lingering since the day she'd spoken with Alastor in the rock garden. It had been a nice day, and one that would hang in her mind at least for the time being. He'd greeted her warmly, and he had news that made her heart soar. The family had grown, and she had cousins that she needed to meet. Maybe it was because of them that she hung around the boarders, and even ventured inland. She was... she was welcome here, right? Yeah, had to be. No one had run her off, no one had chased her from this place. She hadn't spoken to Manea yet, but Nirvana hadn't tried that hard to seek her aunt out either. The alpha had to be busy, doing all of the things that alphas did... whatever those things were. That, and she had two children to raise. She'd be busy. But the call came for a meeting, and Nirvana figured she'd show up too. With her gaze bright and steps purposeful, she approached the origin of the call. Sure, not technically a member of Elysium, but she's family. Family is something different, something important to them. After the meeting, she'd be able to take the time to talk with her aunt and settle things, but for now, she'd slip into the meeting unannounced. At the back of the pack she takes a seat, not wanting to be disruptive overall. No, there was business to be done. They could speak after.

Imperia took her time to arrive to the meeting, doing so as she was always doing something she felt was more important. Like training and torturing animals she found on her path. She hated life, a life that for her wasn't worth giving love when she was never given that. And even if she did just now it wouldn't change her mind. There were no second chances for her. She walked in with her cold, hateful expression, eyeing the rest who weren't part of the blood relatives like pests, like they didn't matter to her, even more than her family who always gave her hate and cruelty for her lack of attributes.

She planted her butt in there, away from others and simply looking at Manea. Ignoring everyone's else's existence.

"The talking"

Code by Shelby

Vision restored and pride more than intact, the titan had been busy repairing the damage to the cave where he'd started to settle himself the first time they'd stayed on the island. Nestled near the foot of one of the smaller rocky peaks that made up the island's terrain, it was more than large enough to accommodate his bulk. Horns and all. Mostly it was just full of fresh furs, with the beginnings of a hearth carved out of the base of a back wall. It was all a work in progress, and he was certain that there was enough time available to him to make it all perfect. For the moment, he lounged lazily in the mouth of his den, watching the clouds roll by. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed just seeing them scuttle across the sky, until that opportunity had been stolen. When a familiar voice rang out over the island, the beast rolled lazily to his paws. With a steady gait, he made his way towards the site that had been unofficially dubbed as a meeting place in the past. Manea had seemed attached to it, and in passing he'd noticed a few additions and alterations to the area since the start of their occupation. By the time he shouldered his way through the undergrowth, the area in front of the lake was already teeming with unfamiliar wolves. New faces caught his eye, including a few young men who were barely yearlings. All of the scents were familiar, but he hadn't seen many of them. The long night had been some time in the past, but he was only now recovered from its hardships. Lifting his eerie, hellish gaze upwards to meet the cerulean eyes of his amethyst cousin and her husband, the brute offered a polite incline of his broad skull, alongside a curt half smile, in greeting. He didn't see his sister yet. He'd have to keep a space open for her, then. Lumbering around the outskirts of the assembled wolves, he scanned over their faces and bodies with gently glowing optics. He noticed Imperia there, and wondered why she hadn't shown for their spar at that carnival a little while ago. She seemed just as surly and disinterested as ever, so perhaps she'd decided against gracing him with her presence. With a disgruntled snort, the goliath dropped heavily onto his haunches near an unfamiliar, dark furred yearling. There were traces of a familiar amethyst throughout her coat, and he could only make an educated guess at her ties to the group. He curled his thick banner loosely against his hip, and leaned his weight into one sturdy forelimb while he waited for his sister to appear and the meeting to begin.

Desponia wasn't exactly thrilled to be here, she tried her best to find hidden alcoves on the island to stay as far away from her sister and her pack as possible, and as often as she could she would escape the island altogether to wander the pack lands of the mainland. For as far as the purple woman was concerned it wasn't her pack. It was her sister's pack and she had no intentions of considering it home if she could help it. She had spent so much of her life specifically trying to avoid her half-sister and just when she'd gotten to this new continent the first wolf she had the misfortune of meeting had been the same sister.

And well now she was here. The woman slunk her way to the meeting spot, she lurked along the tree line, drifting between them enough to be visible but making her reluctance and indeed unwillingness to be here.

Speech

Image by Lipton23

Ara came trotting into the meeting shortly after her brother, and found him seated already. A spot for her at his side. She made her way over to him and flopped dramatically at the dire wolf's side. Leaning her shoulder against him as she offered him a quick grin, before turning her attention to her cousin.

Manea was looking very Queenly these days. Proud and poised on the slate podium. She grinned cheerfully up at her Genetrix and waited to see what she had called them all here for. She knew beyond a doubt that Elysium was destined for great things, and she trusted Manea to guide them there.

"Naráca Mendacium"

Sera slept alone in a small den away from the others. She trained, hunted, and ate alone. She was grateful for the security that Elysium offered her, but it was hard to feel she was truly a part of anything.

At Manea’s call, she arrived at the meeting place. Seating herself with room on all sides so she wouldn’t feel crowded. Her eyes glanced at Alastor, as she tried to conceal an expression of longing and frustration. Wondering what had happened to the feeling of companionship she would find here. Her eyes flicked back to Manea as she settled in, waiting to see what this meeting would bring.

"Speech"

Saracyn had already been down by the lake on the opposite side training his raptors with aerial dives into the crystal clear water to catch fish and hone their lethal accuracy. As it was, his birds of prey were already deadly, but just like himself, he wanted them to be veritable living tools of death and fear. They'd all gotten very good at working cooperatively and the young Blood Moon Prince was proud of how their efforts had paid off. From overhead, Veior gave a calling screech, drawing Sara's attention across the lake to the opposite side, where he saw his family gathering. With a sharp whistle, the prince hurried along the rocky shore around the lake until he arrived. By the time he got to the meeting, others had gathered. He pushed his way past Chade and Ricin (maybe only a bit deliberately) to go take his place beside Avacyn, sitting up straight and proud while he flashed his razor sharp teeth to his twin sister in a wide grin. Whatever Mom wanted to talk about, he hoped it would be quick and done with soon. He wanted to get back to training his raptors.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Irilyth had been busying herself tidying up the Mendacium family dens some when she noticed Manea and Alastor heading out without a word. Being the dutiful servant she was, she continued to do her work, remaining behind even when Avacyn left with her parents. Manea hadn't given her explicit instructions to follow her, after all. Perhaps the family was having an outing of some sort? Either way, Iri put it out of her mind and finished straightening out Saracyn's bedding, adding a few more large furs from their stores to widen it for him. The young prince and princess had both gotten so large as they approached their first birthdays, revealing that they took after their sire and dam in more ways than just their coats. Saracyn especially had sprouted like a weed, no doubt going to rival his father in terms of sheer size.

The call that Manea let out took Irilyth by surprise. A meeting was being called? Hurrying to finish laying out the prince's bed, the servant girl headed out at a brisk pace to pursue her Mistress, finding the rest of Elysium already gathered down by the lake. Oh no, she hoped she wasn't keeping everyone waiting on her! Ears slicked back to her golden blonde forehead, Irilyth quietly and surreptitiously slunk in behind the group, keeping to herself as she usually did while raspberry eyes looked to her Master and Mistress, wondering what this was all about.

"Irilyth"

Manea grinned proudly when she saw Avacyn hurry to join them as soon as she called for the pack to join them, giving her daughter a pleased nod. The girl had been doing well so far in her studies though she did hope that Avacyn would begin spending more time on her fighting prowess and perhaps spend some time hunting with them rather than spending all of her time in her workshop, but she didn't want to discourage the girl's passions either. Surprisingly, the first wolf to appear besides Avacyn was Relm. She gave the silver eyed woman a nod before looking up to see Ricin, Kichi, and Chade come to join in on the meeting in short succession. The pair of blue-hued brothers had been incredibly hard working and loyal since they decided to stay with them long term and Kichi had made a fixture of himself as well. While she might have wished that some of her cousins or her son would have arrived more promptly along with them she knew that the island was fairly large so if they had to come from further out she would have to give them a bit of time.

The next wolf to appear caught her off guard, but made her grin happily all the same. Alastor had tipped her off that her wild-hearted niece had been lurking around their territory for a bit, but Manea had decided to give Nirvana whatever time she wanted or needed before she approached her. Since her niece had gone off on her own to explore the world Manea had wanted to continue to respect her wishes and let her make her own decisions about her life, though she was extremely happy and relieved to see her niece again. She gave Nirvana a nod as well with a look that spoke to the fact that she'd be speaking to her once the meeting came to a close.

Imperia, Poe, Desponia, Naráca, and Seraphina all filed in, coming from various parts of the island and finding spots among the slowly accumulating crowd. Poe took a seat near Nirvana despite the fact that she was certain they had never met, but Nirvana did hold many of the name physical cues as other members of their family so he likely pieced it together if she had to guess. Desponia of course lingered on the outskirts as Manea expected from her half-sister. Perhaps at some point she might find it in herself to try and build some sort of bridge between them, but for now she was mostly content simply knowing Desponia was where she could keep some kind of tabs on her. She waited patiently for Saracyn and Irilyth to make their appearances as well, her son and handmaiden bringing up the rear. The only wolf not present was Larisa, but she hadn't seen much of her aunt since she agreed to join their ranks so she didn't think too much of it.

"Hello everyone," she spoke, raising her voice to be heard over the crowd once everyone was settled, offering them all a gentle smile. "I felt it was high time for all of us to come together for the first official meeting of Elysium. There is much to discuss, but lets perhaps start on a lighter note." She glanced between the pups of the group with a wider smile, going on to say, "Since we are at the very brink of Autumn, we will have some birthdays to celebrate very shortly. Avacyn, Saracyn, Ricin, and Chade will all become yearlings in the coming weeks. I would like to hold a celebration not only for them, but for the founding of Elysium as a whole. We have much to be thankful for and what better way to celebrate than with a party?" She glanced at Ara when she said that, knowing how much her cousin loved a fun, often drunken, time. "I plan to invite wolves to attend from our friends in Ashen, Armada, Fenmyre, and The Hallows. I thought he'd set up everything in the Rock Garden to keep the other wolves from having to come across to the island, but other than that I am leaving the planning to my daughter." She looked to Avacyn at that giving her a smile. She had mentioned this plan to her previously so it wouldn't come as too much of a surprise. "This is to be her first official act as our heir so I'm eager to see what she comes up with along with all of your help."

After a brief pause, she moved on to more serious matters. "As we saw during our practice run fighting with the wolves of Fenmyre, we have a lot of room to improve when it comes to our skills. We did a lot of work to make this place our home, now we need to continue to work to make it so that we can defend it. My main goal for this pack is always to make sure that all of you have a safe home here in Elysium, but I am unable to defend it on my own. I need all of your commitment to bettering yourselves and honing your abilities." Her aqua gaze swept the crowd as she spoke, connecting gazes with everyone at least once. "Those of you that are proficient in your skills, I expect you to help train those around you. Any lessons you wish to hold I encourage you to do so. Those of you that put in the effort and show a marked improvement will be rewarded. If we reach the beginning of winter and I haven't seen any noticeable improvement you will be punished. As much as I want this place to be a safe haven for those I hold dear, I will also not allow some to take advantage of their place here." She didn't feel a need to elaborate further into the form of punishment since she hoped that she wouldn't be given a reason to take those measures, but she certainly would if she had to.

With her warnings made, she smiled softly again before moving on. "On that note, improving the mastery of your talents is what will make you eligible for more notable and important positions in our ranks. Imperia, Naráca, Poe, and Relm have already been placed in the ranks of our fighters as Pugnators. Once the season changes Chade will become our first ranked hunter as Venator and Ricin will be our first ranked navigator as Speculator. When any of you feel ready to pursue and reach for higher I'll be looking forward to your challenges to earn the ranks you deserve." Ah, but there was one more that had made good progress in his skills that she hadn't listed a rank for yet, wasn't there? She looked to her son and grinned, adding, "Because Alastor and I were lucky enough to be given not one glowing star but two, I have decided to create another rank especially for Saracyn. He will be our Gnatus and will act as a support and confidant to Avacyn as she goes about her duties as Gnata." She had kept that tid bit as a bit of a surprise for her son so she chuckled softly as she waited to see his reaction to his specially crafted spot in the pack before she lifted her aqua gaze back to the group.

"Anyone that would like to work with Avacyn in the planning of our celebration please come and join her to discuss. Otherwise, you are free to go about your day. I'll be looking forward to seeing how all of you flourish in the coming months." With that she gave a final nod and rose from her perch, giving Alastor a grin and a quick kiss as the crowd began to disperse.

"Manea Mendacium"

While Ricin awaits his brother’s appearance, he casts his gaze around the meeting area. A gray wolf comes to sit next to the cloaked one and the blue pup furrows his brow in confusion. He looks really familiar, where does he know him? The wolf acknowledges his presence and the man’s voice clicks home the last piece of the puzzle. Eyebrows raise in excitement as Ricin says, “Kichi! How are you doing?” The boy is fond of the gray wolf that had taken pity on him when the blue pup had gotten lost. On the brothers journey, the boy often wondered what had happened to the kind wolf. Now, fate has brought Ricin and Chade to the pack that Kichi is a part of. A smile rests on his dark lips as he looks at the, now slightly smaller wolf. Funny how time changes things.

Chade shows up next and Ricin’s tail thumps the ground in greeting. His darker sibling sits next to him and asks if he missed anything going on to explain what he had been doing. The lighter boy shifts his hips so he can lean slightly into Chade’s hip and, just like that, all the worry that filled Ricin, disappears. More wolves start to filter in and Ricin says, “Hey Ny! Remember that wolf that helped me find when I got… lost? He’s right there!” The brothers are not far from the gray man, in fact, there is only one wolf between them but Ricin is just so happy to see Kichi. Excitement causes his voice to raise slightly as he pokes a paw toward the gray wolf.

Flashing Kichi a huge smile, Ricin then turns his attention back to Chade to fill him in, “Nah, you haven’t missed anything. Everyone is still arriving. Oh cool! How are the lessons going Swift? Are you having fun?” Ruby gaze turns to the cheetah but, before she can answer, Manea officially kicks off the meeting. Wide, curious eyes turn to the leader and Ricin listens with rapt attention. His tail wags slowly behind him and smile rests on his dark lips. The first order of business is… a celebration! Wait did Manea just include Ricin and Chade? The smile grows, his chest puffing out slightly in pride to be included in a yearling celebration with the leader’s children. Butterflies flutter nervously in his stomach as he remembers Saracyn‘s dislike for the brothers but Ricin vows not to let that deter him from enjoying the moment.

Ricin listens to the rest of meeting, while feeling like he is drifting on cloud nine. The almost yearling gives a small nod to the talk to improving skills. Manea mentions the brothers names again, bestowing their ranks and Ricin feels the butterflies take off again. Finally, the meeting is closed with the invitation to meet with Avacyn to plan the upcoming celebration. When the purple woman stands to signal the end, Ricin looks at his brother with sheer joy. There was too much to express so, the lighter pup just throws his arms around his brother and gives him a huge hug. After a moment, he whispers, “We made it Ny. We… survived.” The moment feels bittersweet as the past threatens to drag his mind back down a dark hole.

Pushing the memories away, Ricin releases his brother from his strong embrace and says, “I’m going to stay and help plan. What about you?” Waiting to hear Chade’s plans, Ricin then nods and quickly moves over to where Avacyn is standing. Bowing his head in respect, the blue pup says, “Congratulations Avacyn.” Raising his head, he offers her a smile as he adds, “I would like to help plan the celebration.” Joy dances in his crimson eyes.

"Ricin Dauner"

Through the entirety of his mother's call to action, Saracyn had to resist sighing and rolling his eyes like a bored pup being told to sit still. Why did they all have to be here for this? Sure, he had some skills to work on, but did this really have to be a pack wide meeting for that? He did like the idea of seeing the slackers in Elysium punished, wondering just how his mother and father would go about handling the insubordinate. Would they maim them? Scar them? Take appendages and limbs? The thoughts excited the boy, and his tail began to subconsciously wag at the mental images that played in his head. He was mostly disregarding the assignment of ranks that Manea handed out to the other wolves, huffing and tapping his paw while he waited for this to be over so he could get back to training.

Manea then announced Avacyn as the heir to the pack and the future Matriarch of the Mendacium family and Saracyn's expression tightened, but he still stamped his paws in applause for his twin sister all the same. He was proud of her, but jeez, did it sometimes feel like a slap in the face to know that she was the one getting all the attention, promise, and power just because she hadn't been born with a cock and balls. Saracyn quietly wondered if his father ever felt this way being subject to his mother. Alastor was significantly larger and stronger than Manea was; Sara was sure that if he did desire control of the pack, it'd take no effort for him to take it by force. So why was he content being second? What sort of sway did Manea have over him that kept him happy being subjugated by her?

So lost in his pouting was Saracyn that he almost missed Manea announcing him as Gnatus, a special support, confidant, and right hand man to Avacyn. Bright cobalt eyes blinked wide in surprise while he turned to look at his mother, mouth opening and closing a few times while he tried and failed to say something. She'd created a unique role just for him. Well shit, now he felt guilty for feeling envious of his sister's rank and power. He managed a grateful smile back to his mother, then turned and leered a sinister smirk out toward Chade. He wanted the orphan to see him in his seat of power beside his family. With a little scoot of his hips, Saracyn moved himself closer to Avacyn's side, already settling into his role as her consigliere. He had more than enough reason now to focus on mastering his skills and the art of killing.

"Saracyn Mendacium"

Being nicer to pups didn’t mean Kichi was still quick to be the most talkative for long chatting but the kid was safe and clearly happy.  It felt weird to have one someone excited to see him to that extent.  Other than Alastor no one got excited about it.  Relm seemed to enjoy his company more than others but as far as someone sounding excited, this was a surprise.  “Doing good kid.  Glad to see you in a pack.”  That said starting to turn his attention back to where the leader would be speaking. When Ry mentioned him again though he nodded towards Chade to acknowledge him also.

A… celebration?  One that would even include wolves from other packs?  That was supposed to be a good thing but Kichi just meant socializing with more.  Kichi already imagined himself standing in the outskirts.  One eye slid over towards Relm to see if there was any sign on how she felt about it but then back to listening to Manea’s words.
Inwardly he grimaced on the training. It sounded like good fun but Kichi felt a pang of realizing he hadn’t been doing much training.  Kichi hadn’t cared about anything for so long he had forgotten how to push himself towards any goal.  Well, he’d have to find things to kill and that should make him stronger.  Oh damn, a pup he met when it was smaller was being promoted before him thanks to his lack of effort.

Well, that sure helped bruise his pride enough.  Kichi would have to improve fast or never show his face in shame.  Kichi glanced to Avacyn again as things were summed up.  Kichi had no idea about what went on in a celebration and working on inviting other wolves certainly wasn’t a thing his talents would be good for.  Kichi glanced to Relm, “Lets go kill something?”

"Kichi"

Chade glanced at Ricin curiously before nodding to Kichi, “thanks!” Swift opened her mouth to reply to Ricin but then the meeting started and the young cheetah closed her mouth to look up and focus in on the meeting as surely as the wolves did.

Chade’s eyes widened in amazement, his tail slowly swaying back and forth then picking up speed in awe as Manea spoke of this celebration being for yearlings and not just her children but Ry and Chade also!  Was this for real?  To go from unwanted by a mom, to just the two of them alone but now, now they were to be a partial reason for a party?  They really had enough value for that?  Chade’s shoulder nudges Ry to share the joy of this news but not speaking while Manea continued on.

As she speaks of training Chade reminds himself its important he keeps training as well.  Chade had to make sure to never fail this pack.  Manea and Alastor had been kind enough to let them in, the other wolves were kind enough to accept them, well, most of them.  Chade didn’t look at Sara even as he thought of the exception to those who accepted the two brothers.

Even as Chade reminded himself to focus hard on his training Manea speaks up of his rising up in status on his birthday.  Chade and Ry both were getting a higher rank?  They were just turning a year old and yet they were already allowed a true position to work.  It was like an invisible badge of honor.  Chade felt a weight of responsibility resting on his shoulders again but, his shoulders were stronger now, he was larger and more dangerous.  Chade could handle responsibility now without it burdening him and when he thought of it the idea of this new responsibility felt good.  It was his turn to give back.

Sara’s promotion was mentioned and Chade could just feel the other pup’s eyes glance at him.  Thank goodness the boy was getting some of the power he clearly wanted.  Maybe this would take away some of his concerns that Chade and Ry would try to butt in on his parent's attention.  Chade lowered his head slightly to Sara, a small acknowledgment to the higher station but at the same time, Chade did not lower his eyes.  Saracyn was in a higher station, and he was the leader's child so truly his blood would be better but, Chade was not worthless.  Chade and Ry had a right to live and grow stronger no matter what the bastard thought of them.  He wouldn’t step on Sara’s toes or try to be his equal but the other pup would be disappointed if he was waiting for Chade to label Ry or him a waste of life or cower to him.  Despite that logic though, a part of him simmered as he thought of Sara’s belittling and wanted to beat the snot out of the cocky bastard. No.  Self-control and humility were best.

Chade had to clear his head and grin at Ry as his brother hugs him, “yeah,” Chade spoke softly, “every day out there was worth it Ry.  We showed fate or whatever.  We earned the right to live.  We can do anything, you and I.”  Chade pondered Ry’s next question, “I don’t know if I can be helpful or not but I’ll ask if nothing else I’ll be sure to congratulate Avacyn on the rise in rank.”

Chade nudged his brother, standing up, “Let's go.” That said heading towards Avacyn, a side wary gaze on Sara before focusing on the heir and offering her a respectful bow, “I don’t anything on how to plan for a celebration but if you know of tasks that need to be accomplished I can help with.  I’m happy to help.  Congratulations on becoming heir by the way.” Turning his head to Sara he dipped him a nod as well, it was harder now than ever, “Congratulations on becoming Gnatus.”  

"Chade & Ricin"