The fight in the mist highlighted both of their skills, and by the end of it he wasn't entirely sure who was the winner. But he definitely knew that Odette was a good sneak partner! She was a ghost in the night, and just as quiet as one.

When the mist started to lift they ended the bout, and citadel cheated by pouncing her when she was visible, and running the knuckle of his paw across her brow in a playful motion. “Your quieter than an owl. So, now what? Wanna see what's around this place?” He asked, getting off her and immediately gaining height just by standing.

A sudden rumble sounded to their left, and something exploded up out of the earth in the distance “what was that?”

Odette was pretty sure she had not won their fight, but she had picked up a couple new tactics to use. Cit hadn’t seen her, she had been silent as the grave, something she would lean into the older and more mature she became. She was a creature of silence, like the leopard and owl that she took after.

Her not brother was a towering behemoth, with more skill than just throwing his weight around. She would have to train very hard to ever have a chance at defeating him. Both of them took it as mostly amusement though, as Cit showed in his play bow and words. "That’s the attempt at least." She joked back as she swatted at his paw.

Both of their attention was caught by the sound of crashing in the distance. Odette’s dark ears lifted and both of them turned. "I don’t know, should we go see?" There was no fear in her voice, just genuine curiosity.

"Odette"

He grinned at his fearless companion, delighted that she'd suggest heading into the unknown so easily. “Duh, of course we should.” He agreed, reckless as ever. Having a companion to explore the unknown with was turning out to be his best decision yet. He didn't want this day with Odette to end.


He trotted further from the Armada, Heading towards the strange sound. Soon enough, the landscape opened up before them into a mostly flat, wide pit that seemed to go on forever. He took a single step forward, the snowy ground felt different here. As he pondered what that meant, another explosion blitzed through the ground a fair way ahead. It shot through the snow in a strange plume of liquid. “Wow, did you see that??” Cit said, as if she could have missed It.

Citadel agreed without even a second thought, of course they should go looking! Odette thoroughly enjoyed exploring with her cousin, he knew great places to go looking for new things to see. This truly would be a day to remember.

Her leopard paws carried her after Citadel, bringing them further from the Armada. Eventually they would come to open land, something that Odette did not particularly enjoy. She liked her trees and mountain much more. Still, it was new and she was with Cit. Before she could pass further judgement her attention was drawn to the sudden explosion. Silver eyes widened and her mouth fell ajar.

Water like she had never seen it before billowed from the earth and erupted higher than she could even imagine. "What was that?"

"Odette"

“I have absolutely no idea.” He admitted with ease. He cast her a look, like ‘see, the unknown is fun!’ He absolutely wanted to go across the expanse and see if he could find the hole where the explosion had come from. Is that what they had heard before? “I bet my mum knows what it is.” He said thoughtfully, his mum knew everything. But he couldn't really ask her right now, could he?

He took another step forward, glancing over at Odette. “I wonder how close we can get?” He pondered outloud, the need to explore and investigate rising easily in him.


"Citadel Fatalis"

Citadel didn’t know any better than she did about the noise that they heard. Her silver eyes opened wide as they proceeded to investigate. He mentioned that his mother would know what they were trying to find. She nodded, surely her aunt Iggy could explain what they were hearing, but if she knew where they were they would both be in trouble.

"Is it water?" She asked curiously as they inched forward. "It looks like an upside down waterfall." She went on, still quite uncertain about their adventure. This thing was loud and possibly dangerous, but that was the fun of adventure, wasn’t it? Odette filled her chest with air, steeling her resolve and bravery. She didn’t want to look like a coward in front of Cit

"Odette"

“You're right!” He agreed, seeing it now that she had pointed it out to him. How funny was that? He had no idea what could cause water to rise. “It kind of looks hot, too. Maybe it's spring water like back at home?” He could see evidence of heat rising from the water stream. Like the water in the hot pools in their cave did.


He took another step forward, braving the odd surface in front of him that would lead to a strange and unknown type of water when a growl sounded behind him. He whipped around so fast he almost fell, and saw the large tiger that had snuck up behind the preoccupied children. Hidden perhaps by the noise and scent of the upside-down waterfall? “Odette!” He cried when he saw the bunched hind legs, its eyes on his kind of sister. He leaped at the same time the tiger did.

Her cousin, almost brother, agreed with her. What they were looking at was indeed water. Even as he said it, Odette had to say that it was hot too. She could see the steam as the heated liquid met the cool air of the Northern reaches. Her silver eyes stared in wonder, her mind racing with the possibilities. If water could run upwards what else in this world was possible?

Before he pair of them could unravel more of life’s mysteries her train of thought was crashed by Citadel yelling her name. Like the cat she was made part of the girl moved like lightning, only just missing being pounced on by the Siberian tiger. Fear went through her like a lightning bolt, but as quickly as it struck it was gone. Citadel was already charging the massive cat, and she narrowly escaped its sharp claws.


"Odette"

Citadel hit the cat hard, his shoulder colliding with its chest as it knocked him to the ground. He was big, but he wasn't his full size yet. His heart was hammering, and an odd emotion was running through his system. Was that fear? He didn't feel fear in battle, he felt excitement. But its bunched legs, and eyes on his cousin had set his heart racing, and he couldn't chase the feeling away. Fear, real fear.


It's paw came down towards his head and he jerked himself to the side, so it's claws scraped across his crystal crown instead of flesh. An odd vibrating ring sounded in the air as it's claws changed the mutation. He raised his own impressive bear paws and smacked it across the nose, even as he scrambled backwards. He needed a better vantage point. He needed breathing room.

Odette continued to scramble away from the attacking cat as Citadel’s shoulder slammed into its tall form. Even with being the biggest of all the young Armada pups he didn’t have an advantage over this fully grown tiger. Ode was scared, frightened for her life even, but she couldn’t do as she wished. She couldn’t just freeze and watched as her cousin tangoed with death.

So she joined in, she had to. The giant cat swiped at Cit’s face, hitting his crystals and causing it to pause for just a moment giving her cousin time to swat back with his oversized claws. He tried to retreat, but the tiger was now focusing on him. Odette would take a chance, to give her cousin enough time to compose himself. Odette jumped forward, flung open her wings, and roared like she had never done before. Hopefully this was enough of a distraction.


"Odette"

He was scrambling back, but thr cat was advancing. He needed to get up, he needed room! And then suddenly his cousin was roaring. He glanced her away, and then did a double take. Her wings were spread wide, Making her look big and impressive and the sound from her throat was even more so. Wow! But he couldn't let it distract him for long. The tiger while on his cousin, but seemed uncertain about diving in. Perhaps her suddenly enlarged sized, or wings on a wolf had given it pause.


Whatever the reason, he'd use it. He finally scrambled back to his paws, and moving on quiet paws he lunged in at the side of the cat. Hitting it's side with his shoulder, and hooking a paw around the side of it's leg, driving his spur into the joint of it's flesh. At the same time, his teeth scrapped the back of it's neck. The tiger bowled, and his cousin seemed forgotten again for a moment.

Odette’s lungs were expelled with all of her might, and her wings extended beyond comfort. However, both of these efforts were successful enough that she was able to distract the tiger to give Citadel the moment that he needed. Odette was able to startle the cat with her performance long enough for Citadel to get his footing, but not well enough that she had convinced it to run off. They were still in very real danger.

Citadel took her distraction and used it to his full advantage. The tiger’s attention was shifted to Odette long enough that Cit was able to get in an attack to the tiger’s softer bits. It cried out in anger and pain, realizing that it had chosen the wrong targets today. The cat did its best to disengage from the Armada Prince as Odette swiped her claws at it.


"Odette"

Citadel felt the moment the tide shifted in battle. The tiger went on the defensive, trying to disengage. For a fleeting moment the reckless pup considered amping up his attack, but common sense won out. He and Odette might win, but it would be a tough battle. He scored one last attack, swiping his sharp extended claws down its side, and stepped back with a threatening snarl.

Odette swiped her claws at it as well, and with a disgruntled snarl, the cat turned and ran away. Leaving the pups to themselves. Children they might be, but they had some rather unnatural advantages. Citadel turned and glanced at his cousin. “Are you alright?”

"Citadel Fatalis"