The brute continued his travels, walking all day and sleeping all night. Well... not always sleeping. But he stayed determined as he marched on toward Olympus, perfecting plans of revenge in the shadows of his mind. Large ebony paws crushed the volcanic black rocks as he went. Here it was easy for the beast to melt into his surroundings. On a volcano, even his strange markings of gold fire could be easily overlooked. So the man traveled quietly, hardly making a sound. His presence here would never be known. If you're going through hell, keep on going... Charon muttered to himself. You might get out before the devil even knows you're there. But the twisted man wouldn't mind if the devil caught him here. It would be an honor to meet the fiend. Charon laughed as his feet moved from rock to rock. He leapt easily over a small vein of magma. How was it that when the man actually had somewhere to be, he was finding all of these wonderful places? First the river of scorching lava, now this powerful volcano... he craved the heat and the fire. He craved the death and destruction that took place there. Hopefully his new home in Olympus would be just as satisfying. "SPEECH"

It was here where it had all started, wasn't it? Where she had found Secret and the woman had told her of Kaios' force claim of her. Where she'd met the woman whose pups were eaten by the dark beast before her very eyes. It was here that she had pledged her freedom to her. But in the end, the lass had not accepted it, and had turned it away in the face of deception, victim to some twisted sort of Stockholm syndrome that could not be warded away. It wasn't here that she had ended Kaios' life but it was here that the memories made her paws heavy with the thought of his blood pooling at them. No guilt riddled her conscience, even if it seemed like the entire world turning their backs on her for ridding Alacritia of the monster. Apparently, she was the monster for destroying a family while Kaios had destroyed countless. Even though she fostered not an ounce of guilt, the event constantly fueled her with temporary spurts of anger at the blind sheep that dwelled in these lands. What idiots. Mercury pressed lightly into one of her legs as she picked her way casually up the mountainside, aware of the source of her agitation and seeking to quell it. It seemed like the tasmanian devil and the wolf were never angry at the same time anymore, but both knew how to calm the other in an instant and always without a word. Jupiter threw a grateful glance down at the small but ferocious creature, a soft smile touching the scarred firebird's obsidian lips. The phoenix wasn't sure where on the mountain she was heading. She'd come here to see if a pack still had claim laid to the land. They didn't--meaning she had no reason to stick around, but for nostalgia's sake, the phoenix settled upon the warm rock, unaware of another wolf's presence only a little further up the mountain.

Charon would sigh with impatience as the sun began to fall beneath the clouds, dangling from a thread over the abyss of the horizon. Soon that thread would be cut, and the world would once more slip into beautiful darkness. But that meant no more ground could be covered today, and that was upsetting to the ebony brute. Though his father had warned him to take things slow, he craved the blood of those Olympus bastards. And there was no way for him to get them from here. It would still be several days until he set foot on their land, and weeks more before he could earn their trust and climb their ranks. Charon was a thoughtful and cunning individual, often sacrificing time for ingenuity in his plans. But right now all he wanted was to tear out their throats. To avenge his family. To gain his rightful throne. The massive brute snarled in frustration, turning away from the sunset to pace along the cooling expanse of rock. The sky was beginning to take on shades of orange and gold, accentuating a similarly colored figure below. Charon was distracted by the sight, and he stopped. Several yards below him, walking across this same mountain, was a woman. Her pelt was a brilliant array of fiery colors, as if she had stepped directly from the volcano itself. Charon licked his obsidian lips with curiosity. What could such a woman be like? He chuckled under his breath as greed flashed in his eyes. Then he was leaping down the mountain in huge strides, somehow managing not to fall as he approached the creature. She seemed to have a little pet at her side. How adorable. Perhaps he was a snack? Still laughing quietly, the unstable man sent up a low bark, calling for the attention of this strange and wonderful phoenix. "SPEECH"

Mercury heard him before she did--ever-watchful when Jupiter was lost in her own thoughts. He turned with a snarl only a moment before the dark beast released his bark in a demanding call for attention. Brilliant lavender eyes flashed as she turned her head, peering over her shoulder for a moment with a gaze half-lidded with nonchalance. She turned, slowly, rising to her paws to face the slightly-larger wolf. Ebony pupils flicked over the gold-trimmed planes of the brute's midnight pelt for only a moment before she focused her celestial eyes upon his, a brow raising. Mercury's snarls echoed between them, his fur bristling and sharp ivories threateningly bared. Stark in comparison, Jupiter's stance was neutral, but unlike she would have usually done, she did not silence the tasmanian devil's growling outbursts. "Need something?" the battle-scarred phoenix inquired evenly, timbre but a querying rumble in her throat, her chipped ear twitching in anticipation of a response.

The brute was apparently caught up in one of his famous mood swings. But he hardly took notice of this as he leapt gleefully from rock to rock, all weariness forgotten from his travels. This woman had a brilliant coat, and he was entranced by it. However, that spell was soon broken as her small pet stood between them and snarled, his tiny fangs bared in the stranger's direction. Charon chuckled once more, confused by such an act of bravery. Did he not know that the muscular brute could tear out his throat in the blink of an eye? But of course he couldn't really do that, not with this lady standing so close. She would kill him for it as well. Perhaps that was where the rat got his bravery. While he posed as her bodyguard, truly he was depending on her. His ears would twitch as a nonchalant grumble distracted him again. Need something? she had asked. The man grinned at her, ivory teeth gleaming in the warm light of the sunset. "Not at all, my queen," Charon murmured. "I only wished to see your gorgeous pelt up close." And so, ignoring the hissing rodent at her feet, Charon moved forward. Step by step, until he was only a few feet away. One could argue that he was still holding a respectable distance between them. But the way he was smiling made it feel like they were much closer. His golden irises devoured her form. "Your fur is really quite beautiful," he said, voice soft and enticing. Something told him this woman would not fall for such an act. "Do you think that I could... touch it?" "SPEECH"

Strings of her veins thrummed with discontent at the brute's presence, a low bass chord of warning buzzing in the back of her mind. She had dealt enough with the mentally unsound to know when she trifled with one and this brute was no exception. Her discomfort remained tucked well away from showing outside, settling to dwell within her gut rather than outwardly expressing itself as the male wolf spoke. Her brow quirked as he addressed her as queen and she couldn't stifle her slight chuckle. "Queen... at least you've gotten one thing right," she responded neutrally. It was then that he thoroughly ignored Mercury, taking long strides until he was only a few feet away. Sultry voice drifted to fall upon deaf ears. Jupiter offered him only a flat gaze, while Mercury bristled more. "Not in a million fucking years," the tasmanian devil snapping, spit flying from his gaping jaws, on a path straight up to the male's face. "This is Mercury," Jupiter introduced, tone almost... bored, and certainly unimpressed. "Mercury is aware of and trained in seeking out every vital point on a wolf's body, and particularly likes Achilles heels--and has ripped out one before." She paused, and sighed. "For your own safety, I suggest you back off."

Charon would frown as his advances would be ignored. This woman was good at hiding her emotions behind a veil of indifference, and he admired that. She did, however, seem to enjoy being called a queen. He chuckled as she did, looking down as the little rat spoke for his master, jaws snapping and spit flying toward his face. The ebony brute snarled indignantly and stepped back to avoid it. "How dare you insult me, rat? What are you, anyway?" His lips remained curled as he glared down at the pathetic little creature. The royal phoenix spoke up as if answering his question. This is Mercury, she announced with her bored little tone. She then went on to explain that her pet knew all of the perfect places to strike, and had done it before. For your own safety, I suggest you back off. Charon looked up at her, golden eyes wide and furious. Then his rage subsided, and he laughed once more. "Oh," he chuckled. "I see what's going on here. Getting the little rat to fight your battles for you, eh?" The large beast shook his head and sighed, sinking to his haunches on the rough volcanic stone. His eyes watched the woman - and her angry little creature - with a distant curiosity. "So, my fiery queen..." he purred, still relentless in his endeavors to seduce her. "What do you call yourself?" "SPEECH"

A soft, almost proud smile cracked across ebony lips as Mercury's indignation was met with outrage, but Mercury was not content with amusement for a response. "None of your goddamn business, mutt," he snapped back, prodding, seeking, finding something that made this brute tick. Mercury walked the earth as a scout for his soul-bound friend, seeking weakness and exploiting it in case it was ever needed. The tasmanian devil usually proved just as skilled at getting under one's skin as he was at ripping it off. Jupiter herself, though, found emotion on the matter at the brute's following comment, her lip curling with disgust at the prospect. Her discomfort faded to irritation and she bit back words until he spoke once more, brilliant celestial eyes narrowing. Then, her visage iced over and the corner of her lips tugged barely upwards in a smug smirk. "Mercury is merely the calm before the storm," the battle-scarred firebird responded evenly, though a slight edge barely rimmed her timbre. "Jupiter Illiadis," she responded, unerred by his attempts at seduction. For as long as she'd lived, she'd had wolves like him flock to her in droves. Instead of letting them go to her head, she had learned to treat them with relative disdain. Only Medusa had truly ever struck her as a pearl among the waste. And it was Medusa--and Medusa only--who could charm her.