After speaking with Sephiran, he wasn’t surprised; he’d attacked the first wolf curious and perhaps insane enough to approach their borders, forcing the male into submission and claiming him as a Sidi. After he’d warned him not to do this. He tried to instill the importance of accepting new wolves into their ranks, as long as their ideals aligned; force claiming every loner searching for information with the potential of joining, wasn’t in their best interest. They needed more warriors, not slaves. He reminded Sephiran of this, after learning of his claim. And of course, emotions flared, tensions rose, and the Sultan reacted impulsively and defensively. But Rhazien was able to talk him down, and in the end, made it a point to visit the newly claimed male to determine his worth.

Approaching the labyrinth of caves where the Sidi were banished into hiding, Rhazien entered the subterranean world without hesitation. The air was damp and cool, heavy with the scent of earth and rock; and with that, the scent of many Sidi were intertwined. He recognized them all, except for one- the new male, which he followed with ease. Venturing deeper, one can hear the clicking of his claws against the stone, resonating into the corridors and alerting the Sidi of his presence.

Coming around a bend, he finds the male in one of the larger chambers, a cave split off from the intricate network of passageways. His dark pelt blends seamlessly with the void of the cavern, but there is enough light for Rhazien to make out his silhouette. A tiny thing he is. “Boy,” He croons, calling for his attention. "The tigress- has she fed you a meal yet?" His voice echoes off the walls, seeping into the corridors of the neighboring caverns. In all honesty, Rhazien couldn't care less if he’d had a meal yet- that was Azoula’s concern. But, being the cryptic he was, he aimed to captivate his audience first- a labyrinth maze of schemes concealed behind the facade of concern.  

"Rhazien Saxe"

Welp, he supposed sooner or later his wanderings or his tongue would land him in a position like this. It had been both, of course. Curiosity had nearly killed the cat...but not quite. He was studying a cluster of mushrooms he had found growing in the damp cavern where he was being held, blending seamlessly in with the dark, nothing but a moving shadow among the others. Ears flicked at the sound of claws approaching, the scent of another member of The Syndicate coming down the hall. "Boy," A voice called out, and he could only assume it was meant for him. He bit back a sigh. He was not a child...he was a goddamn adult, so he didn't know if it was due to his size, or if the wolves that made up this pack were just brawn over brain. Or perhaps they meant to insult him. Typical of their type. He would know though...he was occasionally the type, too.

"Not yet, but it wouldn't be the first time I've gone hungry for the night." He turned around, pitch black gaze finding the larger male. At least it wasn't Sephiran...that guy definitely seemed unhinged. Then again, this one could be, too. Were they all? He'd find out sooner or later. "Have you come to fight me, too? Or checking out your alpha's new prize?"

"Speech"

Peering into the darkness of the abyss, Rhazien’s eyes were still adjusting to the bleak lighting. Beyond the diminutive frame of the male was a cluster of mushrooms, having flourished in the damp setting of the cave system. To the older male, they didn’t mean much; his knowledge of herbs was beginner at best. But to the herbalists of the pack, and apparently this male, they were a resource worth investigating.

Phantom’s voice broke through the silence, disrupting the tranquility of the labyrinth, as it amplified through the corridors and blended with the backdrop of dripping water from stalactites. His comment made Rhazien’s smirk pull tighter, the tips of his obsidian-plated fangs shimmering in the low lighting. “No, I haven’t come to fight you.” He says, exuding an aura of honesty as he slowly reclines into a seated position. Despite his sudden appearance, Rhazien is disarmingly affable, but his demeanor reeks of confidence and assurance. Typical traits of a Saxe male in power.

Turning his snout to the closest passageway, he releases a low woof- a command that will echo through the labyrinth, enhanced by the natural acoustics of the winding walls to reach the ears of the tigress patrolling its depths. Bring the boy a meal. Then, Rhazien turns back to Phantom, watching him with a close, analytical eye. “Azoula will bring you something shortly.” A short pause. “She is our Sidi handler, and will watch over your wellbeing." Of course, he wasn’t going to elaborate on the other tasks she was in charge of - like making sure the Sidi could fuck the soul out of their masters and keep them entertained.

“My name is Rhazien. I am Sephiran’s lead politician.” Nodding his head to the boy, he prompts him for an introduction. Then, he moves on to the burning question eating away at his mind. “You must have heard the rumors of our pack's upbringing - of the savages who rule this domain.” Those piercing, multi-hued eyes are staring down at the male, a glimmer of mischief dancing inside of them. “And yet, you approached our borders.” And in his eyes, there is also a cold, calculating intelligence- a mind that lusts for deception and manipulation. “Why?” Curiosity is there too, eating away at his thoughts like a disease. Certainly, this male hadn’t approached their pack hoping to become a Sidi. What had been his motivator?  

"Rhazien Saxe"

"No, I haven't come to fight you." Well, that was a bit of a relief. Even if the man had come to fight him, Phantom would've fought back. He was small, but he had his advantages. Especially in the darkness. "Hm." He watches the man from the corner of his eye with interest. There is no wariness or fear in his stance or gaze. He's accustomed to usually being invisible. Flitting about from one shadow to the next and often evading capture. And the few times he had been caught? Let's just say his captures didn't last very long. He had made a game of it by now, only this time...he was up against a whole pack. One that had grown pretty big, pretty quick. He would be wise to bide his time, perhaps...

His...Host, called for someone to bring him food. Even telling him that this...Azoula...was the Sidi handler. Though the title was foreign to him, he knew what the position was. What it entailed in its entirety, he didn't know. And he didn't quite intend on finding out, either. Turning his attention away from the mushrooms for a brief moment as the man seated himself, Phantom decided he could give this man some of his attention. He was, after all, more cordial than the other one. Rhazien. "Phantom. Pleasure." He responded in turn.

Rhazien went on then, about Phantom's potentially hearing the rumors. Emphasizing the word savages, even. It brought a smirk to Phantom's lips, just the slightest hint of one. Before he questioned him why he came to their borders. The shadow male raised his head a little, tilting his head as he locked eyes with the larger male. "Yes, I've heard the rumors. I'm more or less aware of the packs reputation, and your...Sephiran, made the rumor true when he felt inclined to force me in here. Though truth be told, I had already planned on joining willingly, but hadn't gotten the chance to mention that part beforehand." He shrugged. Whatever had been up Sephiran's butt was no business of his. Perhaps it was ego. Perhaps it was just him upholding the reputation that had quickly spread throughout the land. Whatever the case, he was here now. "I've been a loner for most of my life. Bouncing around on my own, lurking from one rogue band to another in between. Yet none of them satisfied my curiosities...I've even let myself be caught by beasts similar to your own..."

His muzzle lifted in another smirk, a little bigger this time. "And yet, here I am. Caught once again for no reason other than morbid curiosity, and perhaps a glutton for punishment. Either way, I don't intend to stay in this position for long. I may not be as big or as strong as the lot I've seen around here, but I have my own ways of survival." He reached out and carefully picked a mushroom, gently toying with it in his paws. "Those who are no longer with us can attest to that."

"Speech"

Phantom was the boy's name, and admittedly, it was suiting. His pelt was a deep ebony that blended seamlessly with the shadows, his presence almost imperceptible against a backdrop of encroaching darkness. Nodding, Rhazien acknowledges his greeting, keeping a casual air of interest- though, the foreboding, undeniable sense of danger that accompanied the Saxe male, was undeniable. A charm that conceals a mind that is always scheming, always plotting.

Reclining onto his haunches, Rhazien settles in for Phantom’s tale. He leans back slightly, tipping his ears in the boy’s direction, offering him his attention- a deliberate sign of contemplation and control. He nods at the appropriate moments, encouraging Phantom through his explanation, while Rhazien is gathering information, dissecting every word and inflection, searching for any hint of weakness or opportunity. But there wasn’t much- aside from this boy seeming to be a masochist. His lips twitched at the thought- not for himself, but for the other insatiable monsters of the hoard.

“If you’ve come looking for a bit of mischief,” Rhazien begins building off Phantom’s statements. “You may find yourself to be… disappointed.” Phantom is toying with a mushroom, but Rhazien keeps his gaze focused on the boy’s eyes. “Sephiran is a volatile, sadistic Sultan- his reputation precedes him.” Rhazien didn’t feel the need to elaborate much further; Phantom had already been assaulted by the male, and forced into the oppressive life of slavery. He'd gotten a glimpse of his depravity. “And those who follow him, are no less hostile.” Rhazien may have been easygoing on the outside, but within, he was a scheming, calculating creature. He was truly no better than the beasts lurking in the shadows of The Syndicate- he was just better at hiding it.

“We pillage. We indulge. We decimate.” A short pause, as he weighs the male’s reaction. “Exploiting the weak, challenging the strong- but we do not stray from the Sultan’s law. We do not question his bouts of insanity, even if he demands we sacrifice in his name.” Expectations that were drilled firmly into the pack members. Do. Not. Go. Against. The. Sultan. "We've made enemies with Empires, soiled linages, devoured souls." A short pause, as Rhazien narrows his eyes slightly. “Is this truly a pack you see yourself aligning with?” Phantom hinted at wolves who were no longer with them, insinuating he played a part in their downfall- but that did not mean it was intentional, or that it was enjoyed.


"Speech"

“If you’ve come looking for a bit of mischief, You may find yourself to be… disappointed." The edges of his lips tugged into a smile, teeth barely showing in the glimpse of a grin as he shrugged. "Well, that is a shame. But then again, it depends on what you consider mischief, hm?" He quiets down as Rhazien tells him just a little bit about Sephiran and the pack he had been claimed into. Obsidian gaze unwavering as he listened, though he had gleaned as much already. While he wasn't much good at direct, physical combat, there were other things he was pretty good at. And that included observing, and his keen eye for the information he sought. Not to mention his "medicinal" studies.

“We pillage. We indulge. We decimate.” Ah yes, he wondered when that would come up. Though he hadn't heard much since they had threatened the pack whose name was now forever lost to the wind in exchange for the child. Beyond that? He hadn't heard of any other pillaging or the like. But maybe he had missed the news of that...or perhaps they were planning on doing it. Whatever the case, he expression remained impassive for the moment as he listened to Rhazien. And then the man begged the question. “Is this truly a pack you see yourself aligning with?”

Phantom couldn't help himself. He laughed. A rising, sinister-like sound from deep within his chest, almost as if the question brought him joy. Perhaps the only time he had ever truly laughed. Or even showed a genuine expression. When he was done, he breathed in before turning his attention back to Rhazien. "My apologies, I am not laughing at you," He stated as he composed himself. "I did not seek out your pack looking to frolic and dance around fields of flowers. I've heard a few stories. I've heard the whispers. The reputation that your dear Sultan has." His voice returned to his serious monotony as his gaze bored into Rhazien's. "I know exactly how his type operates, and what this kind of pack entails." He tossed the mushroom he held at Rhazien's feet. "You know nothing about me. And if those who are no longer with us could, they'd tell you what kind of creature I am." His gaze drifted briefly to the mushroom before returning to Rhazien. "Tell me. Is that mushroom safe to eat? Or is it the type that could kill you? They thought the knew. I wonder if you do." Of course, he already knew the answer.

"Speech"