he traveled from cedar falls. it was a weary journey and lasted days. Érebos was determined to complete his mission, even the ones he gave himself. he knew better than to expect anything for it really.. so he kept his hopes at bay; locked and hidden to prevent his motives being studied & misunderstood.
Érebos intended to make good impressions these days, more than he use to. coming to be three soon, a new set of changes happened for him in all ways. he suddenly had much more responsibility than he use to-, being a patriarch now and all. he needed to bring the dunamis family somewhere safe. and insomnia was the only option he had at the time being.. until he challenged one of these packs. but he had the patience needed to build and plan in the dark. it was after some time that they finally did approach the borders: him and grim. he howled for medusa and then glanced back at grim, nodding once to assure the boy.

table by scarlet

He was eager to get back home, following the man he'd met in Auster that said he knew where Insomnia was. The yearling followed him like a lost puppy (but of course he was!), not really giving any thought that this could have very well been a trick. No, that never came to mind. Was he gullible? That remained to be seen. The man was convincing though, and Grim wanted nothing more than to reunite with his mother and his siblings. What all had he missed? Did they miss him? Had they been looking for him? Was he forgotten? A brief turmoil of emotions rolled around in his brain, and he generally wasn't one to be emotional. But he had been trying to find his way back to no avail, and it was only then when Erebos stopped at the border and called did Grim give pause. He stood nearby, hungrily staring beyond the borders, forgetting for a moment that he could just waltz right in and all would be well again.

"Speech"

That familiar call at the border. She knew exactly who it was! It seemed the man couldn't get enough of her presence, and she giggled to herself at the thought. Abandoning the clearing out of yet another den, Medusa beelined her way to where Erebos waited, finding him after only a few short minutes. But wait! There's more! Her pace slowed as she spotted the thin, lanky, shadowy black figure with that unmistakable marking that made up a forever smile. When she realized who it was, she picked up her pace and was practically racing the rest of the way until she crossed her own border and launched herself at her child. She didn't care that Erebos was standing there. Didn't care if this looked childish. She had been looking for her child, and now here he was! "Medusa has been looking for him! She thought something bad happened, where has he been!?" She exclaimed between over-enthusiastic kisses, messing up her shadow boys fur quite a bit before finally stepping back and looking between him and Erebos. "Has Grim been with Erebos this whole time?" It was not an accusation, but a genuine question. Had Grim just been out and about and not bothered to tell her that? Or had he been whisked away? Perhaps locked in a dungeon? Kidnapped? Injured?? She looked him over, and he didn't seem to be missing a leg or had any wounds that she could see.

to his surprise, medusa was affectionate. she seemingly forgot who stood around as she went straight for grim, plastering kisses all over the youth. a part of him despised it-, as Nike cringed at the term "mother". Nike was far from the affection medusa was seemingly capable of, despite her oddities. offering Érebos a mere embrace that last seconds when he successfully killed a subject he was tested with. passing it of course was only ever good & valid. "He has only been with me for a short time. I found him wondering in cedar falls and brought him straight home," he clarified with his baritone voice, tail swaying to the left as he remained standing near the two.


"Talking" - "Thinking"

table by scarlet

He was getting antsy with anticipation. Would Medusa come? Or was she so mad at him for disappearing that she would want nothing to do with him again? A low whine slipped past his jaws as his head hung low, more like a predator on the hunt rather than a dog full of shame. But then, he spotted that familiar form on the horizon. She was slow at first. Stopping even as if assessing who was standing at her border. But then she came racing in like a freight train, and straight for him! The Bone Queen launched herself at him and covered him in affection, it was a miracle he hadn't been knocked off his feet! He growled playfully as he returned some of the affection, ignoring her questions for the time being until she finally stopped kissing him to death.

He shook out his already messed up fur while Erebos answered her, offering a sheepish grin after. "Grim got lost, couldn't find his way back...but he found him, and brought him home. Grim missed...home." He rasped, suddenly taking a confident step forward back into his own home. How long had it been? Would his siblings remember him? Or had he been forgotten?

"Speech"

Aah, so Grim had been found and the reason he had to be found was because he'd been lost. Medusa nodded as she understood what had happened. She had been searching high and low, but had not had the chance to check every bit of both continents...it had been a lot of ground to cover between Boreas, Auster, training Red, and tending to her pack duties. Devoting 100% of her search for Grim had been impossible unless she completely abandoned the pack, but she trusted that he would be fine and it looked like he was. Thin of course, but he had always looked like that anyway. She watched as Grim made his way back into Insomnia and likely on his way to find his siblings. Now that he was home, things were a little better. There were others still that she had been searching for, but hopefully they'd come home in due time as well. "Medusa thanks Erebos for bringing Grim home. She has been looking for him for him for a while." Looking at him, she added "How can Medusa repay Erebos?" "Medusa"

the child ran off, joining his family once more and truth be told, it warmed him for a second. however, he couldn't help but notice the emptiness that truly lived inside of him. he had no motivation to love a thing, let alone a child to be proud of. medusa had plenty-, she was affectionate, protective and all the great things a mother ought to be. but in comparison to erebos's own mother, it created a sense of resistance internally. making him weary of both parenthood and finding the right mother for his own future offspring.
their alliance, medusa and Érebos', created the groundwork for a strong empire whether she knew that or not. his actions were thought out and calculated, sharp with political ambition as he seized every opportunity to positively advance. advantageous, he delivered something valuable back to medusa and it birthed a ripe moment for him. she offered to repay him.
far from stupid, he would not flaunt and use this as a way to best his already growing bond with medusa. but would instead aim to create a fortified union. he was aware of consequences and played it smart- preservation was what kept the dunamis on top- not just blood and war, but strategy. there were unmistakable power in numbers. and he aimed to coincide with as many big, bad names he could find. medusa, you are the first investment. "I.." he chose his words with concision. "will request something in the near future perhaps." thoughtfully, he kept his door opened for her. a later talk then while he figured out his next few steps. "Thank you."


"Talking" - "Thinking"

table by scarlet

She waited to hear his response, expecting something perhaps like...a higher rank or...something, well she wasn't really sure. She hadn't ever offered something like this before, and so when he said he would request something in the near future, she grinned and nodded. Whatever it was, she would do her best to oblige. After all, he had brought home and returned to her one of the most precious things, and that was certainly worthy of whatever future request he might ask of her. "Erebos only needs to say when~" She responded, dipping her head in thanks as she turned to go and find Grim and the others. He was home now. That was worth a bit of celebration! She motioned for him to follow, granting him passage into the lands if he so pleased. Otherwise, he was free to do as he wished. For now, she wanted to tend to her child and catch up on all that had been going on with him. -Exit- "Speech"