The journey to their eastern ally, albeit a short one, did take them a considerable amount of time- not by any fault of her brother’s of course. It was a constant fixture in the back of her mind that their slow pace was entirely her own fault. Had Malico been traveling by himself, he could have covered the ground by the afternoon they had departed. But then again, this was her path to take, and her brother was just helping her along it. Over the distance covered, Mariah had to make a conscious effort to not continuously apologize to him. She wanted to. But again, he knew what he was signing on for when he agreed to accompany her. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

When the thicket began to clear, and the land opened up into forest and the sound of rushing water, she recognized the boundary laid before her- marking Valta’s territory. Hesitating at the threshold, she shot a glance at her sibling- offering a subtle half-grin as she sought his reassurance. Lowering herself to settle on her haunches, she tilted her head back to call the alpha- or at least, the authorit

Code By Whiskey. Art By Cull

The rushing water was still running but a bit more sluggishly than normal.  The absurdly cold winter had frozen the edges of the rapid but the water was stubborn and refused to freeze up fully.  Underneath the fish could still be spotted here and there as they swam through.  The ground was a mixture of white and dirty white with yellow moist grass, struggling to live when thick snow clouds hid the sun from it.

Kotori was in the process of checking their bridge, making sure it hadn’t been damaged in his absence.  A bridge breaking over freezing cold temperatures wouldn’t be an enjoyable experience.  Kotori hadn’t expected to find any problems but this was the sort of thing you have done regularly and not leave to chance.

At the call of a wolf at his borders, Kotori dropped what he was doing and made his way to where he spotted the strangers.  Both would get a cursory glance and nod.  “I’m Kotori Fatalis, Sumatar of Valta.” The scent of Elysium was on them, explaining already that this should be allies before him and not someone wishing harm.

"Kotori Fatalis"

The lanky young male keeps pace with his sister as they approach the borders of Valta. As they had traveled, worry has begun to gnaw a hole in his stomach because he knows just how exhausted she gets. The fact that they need to stop and rest often was the first sign and, whenever Mariah would try to apologize, the purple boy would simply wave it away, shushing her because he understands her limitations… probably better than she does. Mar can be a but stubborn when it comes to that fact and she might not wish to acknowledge them but Malico has never once thought any less of her simply because her body is different.

All the worry that Malico has felt for his sister in mostly kept hidden behind a mask of quiet encouragement and understanding because he doesn’t want to annoy her. Sometimes, it might slip and peek through but, in spite of that worry, the purple boy remains proud of her. They reach the threshold of the pack and he pulls to stop beside his red- hued sister, turning his blue gaze down to where she is. The subtle half-grin is not missed by the taller boy and he cracks a wide smirk leaning in to lovingly nuzzle the top of Mar’s head as he softly offers, “You got this!”

It is meant to be encouraging and, as he pulls back, the boy offers her a wink of reassurance.  Mariah seats herself and Malico does the same, settling lightly on the ground as he waits to see who will answer his sister’s call. A tall, earthen male does not keep them waiting long and as the stranger looks them over, he offers the pair his name. With a dip of his head in polite greeting, the boy says, “I am Malico Mendacium and it is a pleasure to meet you.” With that, he lapses into silence, allowing Mar steer the conversation while he sits protectively beside her.


"Malico Mendacium"

Just as if he could read her mind, Malico offered her the reassurance that she silently asked for. You got this. He was right. There was nothing to be concerned of. Offering him a silent nod, she straightened herself up as she heard the approach of another.

The individual that broke into her line of sight was of earthen tones. As he drew closer, it became evident that he was a bit taller than Malico, but not quite as tall as the rest of her family members. Before he introduced himself, Mariah had already made the conclusion that this was not the individual she had be expecting. Regardless, she flashed him a friendly grin as he introduced himself- and then Malico in turn. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Sumatar Kotori.” Mariah offered lightly. Not who she had anticipated at all. Even still, she only hesitated a moment before going on to introduce herself, and why they were relevant. “My name is Mariah Mendacium- our sister, Avacyn, is the Matriarch of Elysium.” She explained, looking for any sort of recognition in the alpha’s expression.

Even still, she couldn’t allow the initial curiosity to pass her by. She had always been straight to the point. Why should that change now? Clearing her throat, she continued. “You’ll have to forgive me for my surprise- based on my sister’s last discussion, I was expecting the Sumatar to be a woman named Aslatiel …” She considered aloud. Of course, her knowledge of recent history and its relations happened to be very shallow. But looking at the man who called himself Sumatar now, she couldn’t help but wonder how he acquired the position … and what happened to Aslatiel? A woman she had never met.

Code By Whiskey. Art By Cull

Malico was quick to offer out their blood relations. These two were not just members of Elysium but also part of the Mendacium family. However, when he offered a quick greeting with his name, it seemed Mariah was the one who would be doing the majority of the talking for them.

They were young by their looks. Kotori doubted they had seen two full seasons yet but he offered them the same courtesy as adults, listening closely to all the information laid out. She even explained the confusion he’d spotted on her initially.

“Aslatiel, my sister, agreed to run Valta for a time while I was away. Valta is lucky to have her both to back me up, and for me also as a good sister.” Kotori had met Avacyn a time or two, and each time she’d shown off well to him both in her demeanor speaking and in a practice raid.

“Pleasure to meet you two. You are welcome here on Valta soil. What can I do for the two of you?”

"Kotori Fatalis"

Being raised in a matriarchal society means that Malico is more comfortable allowing his sister to be the boss and direct the conversation with the alpha. But that doesn’t mean that the boy is impolite and he offers his name along with respectful dip of head before allowing Mariah to take over. His posture is protective of his smaller sibling and he is well aware of just how gaunt she has gotten… which makes him even more protective. No matter how much he tries to feed her, Mar just cannot seem to put on weight and it is extremely troubling to the boy.

Traveling has slow but the idea of a chart has already been shared with his sister and he hopes that, when they leave Valta, Mariah will relent and allow him to help her. Mar greets the Sumatar and lets him know why there is some confusion on the Mendacium siblings’ part at the man’s appearance. Kotori speaks, letting them know that Aslatiel is his sister and how she had stepped up when he had taking some time away. Malico bobs his head in acknowledge and, as they are welcomed onto Valta soil, Mal stands and readies to escort his sister over the invisible border.

At Kotori’s question, Malico remains silent, knowing that Mar is far better at handling questions than he is. Plus, he is just here because Mariah wanted to travel and he refuses to let her go anywhere alone.


"Malico Mendacium"

The subtle warmth of Kotori's welcome put Mariah at ease. She nodded along thoughtfully with the explanation on Aslatiel, understanding the dynamics of shared responsibilities within a pack. As the alpha graciously invited them onto Valta soil, Mariah took a moment to gather her thoughts before expressing their purpose for seeking assistance.

"Thank you, Sumatar Kotori," Mariah began, her voice carrying a genuine tone. "We come seeking the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences. Elysium values the diversity of skills and perspectives, and as a healer in our pack, I am particularly interested in learning from others outside our borders." She looked at Kotori with a thoughtful expression, her eyes reflecting a genuine curiosity. "I don't want to be limited by the knowledge basis of our own skillsets, and would like to hone my craft by exposing myself to different techniques and alternative approaches. If you have any medicinally inclined individuals in your ranks willing to share, I would be honored to learn alongside them as well as offer up any knowledge I might have in return." Her voice light and airy as she conveyed the purpose of this meeting.

"Of course we would pull our own weight, and then some. Malico is an adept hunter. And we both would be willing to help out during our stay wherever assistance is needed."  She finished hopefully. Mariah hoped that their visit would not only strengthen the ties between Elysium and Valta but also provide her with valuable insights.

Code By Whiskey. Art By Cull