Cel and co would be moving on soon, onto greener pastures and all that, but Kuroki couldn't leave the west without meeting his new sibs. He just couldn't, it was against the law, or something just as binding. This part of Boreas was more green and lush than what he was used to, but it was still warm enough that he could see the natives of Ashen residing here easily enough. The Armada wolves seemed to have done fine settling in the frigid north, but that just wasn't how the Kliens rolled, you know? Why spend your days shivering in a cave when you could nap on a beach?

Yeah, he probably should have been a good son and called at the border- but but but, before he'd left the desert he'd pilfered some ruins and found a lovely, baubly necklace for mum! So surely any offence he caused would be forgotten for the gift he had one of his companions carrying safely in a little pouch bag. Surely, surely. At the very least he let out a loud booof in greeting, so it wasn't like he was slinking around all naughty like. Not that he could given his size and carefree gait but whatever! He was here and ready to meet his new sibs! Where were they at?

Rebel hummed to herself as she splashed around in the shallow part of the lake, hopping around along the shore and making an absolute mess of her navy and white fur while having a great time doing it. She had promised her mom she wouldn't go swimming without her or her dad, but she hadn't said anything about not getting wet! Splashing around and getting muddy was almost as fun as when her dad tossed her in the water, but not quite. Considering her parents were doing boring adult things this was as close as she was going to get for now so it was better than nothing. Still, she did wish one of her siblings would at least come out and play with her or something else exciting would happen.

She did eventually get her wish when a loud bark caught her attention and made her head pop up in response, her magenta eyes wide with interest as she looked around to see who had made the noise. She finally spotted him–a guy that was as big as her dad, but spotted with orange with white horns that stuck out of his head. She had never seen him before, but he seemed to walk through their territory very confidently regardless. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she hurried out of the water and gave herself a quick shake before darting into the bushes where she couldn't be seen before he noticed her. She didn't know a ton about how the pack stuff worked yet, but she knew they had borders that she wasn't supposed to go past and she knew that strangers weren't supposed to cross them either. So he must be an intruder!

Rebel did her best attempt at creeping through the bushes to circle around to the part of the lake he was walking past and as soon as she was close enough she charged out in what she was confident was a very intimidating assault–also known as a round, short legged pup doing an adorable run–and hopped up to bite at his tail. No one was gonna intrude on her momma's pack if she had anything to say about it!

"Rebel Klein"

Once they were let out of the family den their parents were having trouble keeping them within. There were some rules that they needed to follow, on the penalty of not being able to go out at all if they were broken. There was always someone in the palace that could keep an eye and make sure their punishment was seen through. Renegade was careful to allows follow the rules, he knew when to come back for dinner, but as he came across Rebel he realized he hadn’t pushed the no swimming envelope near far enough. The desert and ocean they were between kept them relatively warm compared to the rest of Boreas. Besides, puppies didn’t feel the cold anyway.

Before he could join her their attention would both be grabbed by that of a confident stranger. Rebel immediately went into the bushes to give a surprise attack, but Ren was far more bold than that. The Prince began his frontal assault, yelling out as he charged. He would hopefully keep the intruder’s attention while Rebel went for his tail. Ren aimed to ram against the man’s tall legs, just like he used to knock his poppa down.

"Renegade Klein"

Kuroki's ears flicked to attention at the sound of thudding puppy paws. Ah-so this was how they wanted to play it huh? Well, as their big and bestest brother it was his duty to indulge his little siblings. To make them feel big and strong in a world that made them feel small. He felt the nipping of teeth at his tail and instead of flicking it away, he let it remain in place, even as he felt the pup bite down, enough for it to sting quite a bit. And then there was another, charging into the fray with a frontal attack. Oooh smart, using strength of numbers. Mmm, mum had taught them well.

With an overly dramatic wail, he flopped to the floor. Dead weight like a log, as he bemoaned his fate. Oh terrible, how awful, to be his siblings chew toy.

"I'm dying. Help me." He told his canine companion who obediently held the pouch containing his mother's present. The dog simply rolled her eyes, the things she had to put up serving this dumb oaf of a wolf...

As she chomped down on the intruder's tail, she heard her brother's yell as he joined the fray and she peeked through the tall man's legs to see Renegade charging right at his front legs. Ah hah! She knew there had to be someone else around to help her take this guy down! She tossed her head about, shaking the man's two-toned tail back and forth between her sharp puppy teeth until she heard the wail they got from their intruder and felt him start to fall down. She let go with a victorious grin, her navy-furred chest puffing out with pride as she quickly clamored up on top of the stranger, hurrying to pin him down before he could get back up again. "Hah! Gotcha!" she declared with a wide grin, her tail wagging wildly behind her while standing on the man's orange speckled shoulder. "Good job, bro!" she said as she glanced up at her brother before she heard their captive mention how he was dying and she turned her magenta gaze toward whoever he was talking to.

She blinked as she looked at the akita that was watching this all play out and clearly wanted nothing to do with it while holding some kind of package. She didn't know who this guy was, but the dog very much reminded her of the dog she had seen with her older sister. She squinted suspiciously as she inched up to put her mismatched paws at the top edge of the man's shoulder, peering down at his face. "Who're you and what're you doin by our lake?" she demanded, reaching her ivory-dipped paw up to poke at his cheek. Sure, maybe it was just a coincidence that he had a dog just like Ike's, but what were really the chances of that?

"Rebel Klein"

Both of the young royal puppies landed their attack on the huge intruder. Rebel eagerly chewed on his tail was Renegade used his mighty strength to push the man over. He flopped onto the ground like a dead thing as he lamented just that, begging for mercy from the two children as his companion watched on disinterested. She didn’t seem interested in helping the intruder, nor did either puppy aim to attack her. She was a bit too much like Tanto, Ike’s dog.

Before he could think on it much more Rebel proclaimed victory and vaulted her darker form upon him, and Renegade joined her. Stepping on the man’s similar pink nose as he went to stand on his shoulders as Rebel questioned him. "You don’t deserve no help after trespassin’ like that.” He chided sternly and poked the man’s ribs with his pale paw.

"Renegade Klein"

The spunky blue girl was quick to start her interrogation, even pushed at him with her paws so she could peer down at him. Making him feel tiny for once, what a weird feeling. He grinned at a little as she went to poke his cheek and even swiped his tongue out so he could lick her toe, just to be annoying of course. He thought about it for a moment and noted just how much Mum they looked, both in their pretty purple eyes and albino Klein coats. He supposed all he'd gotten from Mum was her soft shade of blackish-grey, white and her long-leggy socks on his front limbs.

"Ahh you see." He said, extending a dramatic front leg. "Kit, Ike and Iki are my ickle baby sisters. And Take is my broody lil bro."

He flashed a grin at the prince, ah yess, he liked this one.

"S'that anyway to talk to your biggest and bestest brother?" He tsked gently, as though it was all such a shame. "Ah, I guess there's nothing for it. I gotta dunk you both in the lake." He began to move then, hefty form shifting like a landslide beneath their paws.

Rebel squinted suspiciously as the large intruder under her claimed that their older siblings were, in fact, also his siblings too. But if that was the case then he was also their brother! Sure, their mom had told them they had five other siblings with one of their brothers no longer living in Ashen with them, but she hadn't really talked about what he looked like much so how were they supposed to know if he was telling the truth? Sure, he had a dog just like Ike and she guessed if she paid close attention his scent was kinda similar to theirs, but... He was still a trespasser! ... Right? Was that how that worked? Or was him being their brother enough to override that? She wasn't given a whole lot of time to ponder that though as their supposed brother chided them for treating their "bestest" brother like this and then said he had no choice but to dunk them in the lake.

She squealed as he started to move, easily knocking them off as she tumbled off of him, rolling a couple of times over the ground till she caught herself and bounced back to her paws with a quick shake. "You gotta catch us first!" she challenged with a giggle and a rebellious grin before she nudged Renegade and turned to take off running through the shrubbery and trees that surrounded the paw-shaped lake. She had to bite back more giggles to keep from giving them away as they bounced through the undergrowth, her magenta gaze searching for a place to hide. She found their answer in the form of a tree that had a hollowed out spot at the base of the trunk. She quickly got Renegade's attention and led him over to the hole, diving inside without a second thought and using it as a hide-y hole from their brother.

"Rebel Klein"

The young starry prince hadn’t expected for the big brute to tell them he was actually their brother. He didn’t have near the decorum for all of that. Maybe it was why he didn’t stay in Ashen anymore though. He wasn’t royal enough to stay and be a prince here. Ren would have to remember that and keep to his best behavior lest he wanted to be kicked out like ‘bestest’ brother Oki. By process of elimination that was who this was. If he wasn’t lying of course.

Ren was already lifting his lip again to snarl when Oki began to make his threat. He was going to throw them into the lake. The young boy was spry and swift on his paws as the big lug started to move he sprang away with Rebel as she called out to him. Renegade was tempted to give Oki one more parting blow but he couldn’t risk being caught and thrown into the water. What would mother think? He’d be in big trouble for going into the lake.

He didn’t even take a moment to think about sprinting off with Rebel into the underbrush. They had spent their entire (short) lives learning the landscape here and the puppies knew exactly where to hide and how to get away. He followed his nimble sister into the hollow of an ancient tree. He stuffed himself inside behind Rebel, careful to stifle his giggles that threatened to pop out.

"Renegade Klein"

Kuroki couldn't help but grin, all wide and toothy, his tail a blur behind him as he stomped along. The pups were quick to duck away in the underbrush...smart, but not good enough to escape their monstrous big brother. He play growled, more of an imitation of a growl than a true noise in the back of his throat. The same way one would say grrrr, as opposed to the actual act of it, you know? He thumped along, nearing an old and ancient tree and he paused, as though having to think real hard about where they might be, prolonging the mounting tension as he heard the quiet rustling of little paws, small bodies pressing tight.

"Hmmm. Where did they go..." He mused to himself, pale brows furrowing. "Maybe instead...when I find them..I'mma eat them. Mum will understand, surely..."

Venom was out on patrol when she caught the scent of her eldest son crossing Ashen’s new borders. Of course her older offspring were welcome within her home whenever they needed, but Oki was being rude not even calling for her to let her know she had arrived. Venom changed course and started after his trail when she heard the vibrant giggles and laughter of her two little guards. Ren and Bel had taken on the trespasser. Had Oki been anyone else she would have worried about her two pups, but they would be relatively safe with their older brother.

Silver tipped ears perked as Kuroki approached the hiding pups, though Venom’s vision was obscured it wasn’t hard to figure out the two pups were hidden in the hollow tree. She stifled a giggle as she revealed herself to her son. "Surely you aren’t thinking of eating them raw…?” Venom questioned with a grin as her white gloved paws brought her closer.

"Venom"

As soon as she and Ren were tucked away in their hiding place in the tree, she glanced over at him with a wide grin while also biting back her own giggles as she attempted to stay as quiet as possible. There was no way he'd be able to find them here! They were way too fast for a big guy like him to find them, surely! She put her paws over her muzzle to keep herself quiet as she listened to his heavy footsteps and fake-sounding growls outside. At their older brother's musing about whether or not he should just eat them instead, her eyes went wide as she looked back at Ren again, struggling even more to keep her giggles contained. Obviously he wouldn't really eat them, but it very much played into the big-bad-intruder story which of course she loved.

Just as she was trying to figure out how they might get out of here and run to a different hiding spot, she heard their mother's voice outside and her ears perked up, glancing out through the hole in the tree trunk that they had slipped into. Mom! Her desire to have their mother confirm their "brother's" identity outweighed her want to keep up the charade and the game of it all so she wiggled her way out of the hollowed out tree and ran out of the bushes, darting over to their mother to slip in-between her white-gloved legs. "Mom! Mom! He said he's our brother, is that true? Is he an intruder?"

"Rebel Klein"

Ren’s ivory splattered paw pulled to his mouth as he tried not to gasp when their supposed older brother mentioned making a snack of himself and his sister. His worried violet gaze looked to Bel, surely he hadn’t found them here?! Before Kuroki could confront them he heard their mother approach, and to his complete surprise she was asking the man about eating them raw! Before he could warn Rebel that their mother was in on it she was squirming out of the hollow tree to confront the Empress.

The little prince was not near as trusting as he much more slowly revealed himself, hanging back so he still had the ability to run if they really were on the menu. Bel didn’t seem worried at all as she sought out their mother for the ultimate authority on the trespasser that wanted to turn them into a royal meal. "Don’t let him eat us…” He mumbled softly as he gave the horned monster the side eye.

"Renegade Klein"