He'd begun to explore Boreas, rippling outwards from that eerie meadow scattered with spires taller than he could see. It was expected of them to return to the bamboo grove they called home, but he'd gotten used to this extended jaunt on to the mainland and hated to turn away without seeing as much of it as he could. The nearby lands were still bathed in the eerie half light of a red sun, but the rest of nature seemed to carry on as intended. Katsurō had been drawn here by the pleasant sound of frogs and that loamy, boggy smell that came with still water. Occasionally deep pools like this held delicious fish, left alone to spawn and grow to large sizes. The scent of an unknown pack crept at the borders just out of reach. It certainly seemed like they were flexing their influence here, possibly expanding their reach, but as far as he could tell this land was still free and clear. At once, the smell of rotting fish assaulted his nostrils. Kat's nose flared and he raised his head, spotting a particularly fat jaguar hunched over a pile of old and fresh fish carcasses. The cat met his gaze over the feast before it and curled its lips in a snarl. His eyes widened and he tensed, preparing to fight or flee, when the cat made the decision for him and leaped over its bounty with claws outstretched. "speech"

Kaizen hadn't really gotten the hang of travelling and frankly with the red sky and tremors he wasn't really sure if he ought to. Home was safe and familiar, the world could burn down around them and Tojo would remain. It was his sire's mentality that had been foisted upon him, yet the thought was reassuring in a way, that not everything had to change. That the ground was solid beneath his paws.

Kaizen had hoped his siblings would all return back home, as he'd intended to do himself but...He couldn't stand the thought of leaving any stragglers behind. Katsurō had made himself scarce and Kaizen had spent the last few days tracking him down, only to stumble upon his brother being cornered by an angry jaguar. He wasn't even annoyed, no withering sigh or growl beneath his breath, it felt typical. Like he was stupid for not expecting any less. Maybe that was too harsh, maybe Kaizen was just in a bad mood.

His focus narrowed in on the cat, forgoing the pile of fish as he rushed to his brother's aid. Head slamming into the cats side as it leapt, horns jabbing between the feline's ribs.

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