The air around the volcano was thick with heat and the scent of sulfur, a stark reminder of it's restless, fiery heart. Inferna's pale form, ghostly in the ash-dimmed light, moved across the blackened earth. She was alone now, and while the weight of Deimos' loss pressed at the edges of her mind, she refused to let it show. He had been the one to teach her to hunt, he had been there for her more than her own mom... but she would not succumb to her emotions. Instead, she channeled her grief into action, her spunky nature pushing her forward. She had left the familiarity of Elysium behind, setting her sights on her own survival. The truth was, Inferna had felt quite alone long before this happened. She wasn't so sure about following the new leader and being under yet another stranger who likely wouldn't care a lick.

The landscape was jagged and barren, littered with the remnants of lives long gone. Among the charred remnants, her sharp pink eyes caught a glint of bone white against blackened stone. She approached it with a spark of interest, her curled tail twitching in anticipation. Beneath the thin layer of soot lay a ram's skull, it's curling horns still perfectly in tact. Inferna tilted her head, studying the macabre find, and a plan began to take root.

Carefully, she nudged the skull free of its ashen grave. It was sturdy, fierce-looking, and oddly in perfect condition. A smile tugged at her lips as she whispered to herself. "You're mine now.. just need a few.. minor adjustments!"

"Speech"

Sometimes growing plants was difficult. There was a certain little poison that was struggling to thrive and Scylla had pulled out almost all of her tricks. The last was collecting volcanic ash to add to the soil, so she was on her way to Mount Volkan for some harvesting.

Woobie ran on ahead, the little bush dog scouting the area. He released a little woof as they drew near, alerting his lady to the presence of another. From the satchel around her neck, a low his sounded as Elvira, the viper, readied herself just in case she was needed as a last resort. Thankfully, the reptile hadn't been forced to use her venom against anyone for a long while.

As Scylla drew closer to where she imagined the caches of burnt remnants would be, the sight of a pale girl came into view. One brow arched slightly as the cobalt and cream lady padded closer, mismatched eyes catching sight of the horned skull. "A lovely piece of bone," she complemented. "I have something similar at home."

"Scylla"

The floppy ears adorning her head bounced as Inferna's head shot up, her pink eyes wide with a mix of surprise and curiosity as the stranger approached. The cobalt and cream fae was unlike anyone she had ever seen; her mismatched eyes and the air of calm authority about her were almost magnetic. Inferna's gaze glimmered with admiration briefly before she lowered it to the viper coiled in Scylla's satchel, then back to the woman's face.

Fern placed the ram skull carefully on the ground, tilting her head as a smile crept over her pale face. "You do?" she asked, her voice full of excitement. "What kind of bone? Did you find it near here, too?!"

Her curled tail wagged slightly behind her, betraying her usual guarded demeanor with her overflow of excitement. She rarely met anyone so intriguing, and wanted to know more about this mysterious woman that seemingly tamed the impossible.


"Inferna"

The girl perked up as Scylla drew in close and the blue woman grinned. Questions flew out of the young lady's mouth and the long tailed fae shook her head. "No, not from here. From the island where I grew up, actually." She then lifted one paw and tapped herself between the ears with one nimble digit. "And it's a wolf skull." She wasn't at all embarrassed about her own exploits. In fact, she seemed rather proud.

Pulling a little crock from a second satchel, Scylla filled it with volcanic ash. When it was full, she covered the top with a piece of skin and tied it tight with some twine. It then went back into her bag. Grey and blue eyes went back to the girl. "So, what are you planning on doing with your find?" She gave a cute little head tilt as she questioned the girl.

"Scylla"

Inferna's eyes widened at Scylla's casual mention of a wolf skull, her awe for this woman only growing. "A wolf skull?" she echoed, her tone somewhere between shock and admiration. "That's... badass." The pale girl couldn't help but feel a flicker of envy for the confidence and ease which Scylla carried herself.

Her gaze drifted to the crock of volcanic ash, briefly curious, but Scylla's question pulled her out of her thoughts. "Oh, this?" Inferna nudged the ram skull with her paw, the faintest smirk tugging at her coral lips. "I'm gonna make it into a battle helmet! Something sturdy, you know? Now that.. I'm on my own."

She glanced at Scylla, hesitating for a moment before adding, "You seem like someone who knows how to handle themselves, any advice?"


"Inferna"

Badass. Scylla grinned, sharp little teeth flashing as a chuckle pulled from her. Yeah, she was going to like this kid. She was pretty badass, wasn't she? It was nice to hear others realize that fact.

The girl went on to say that she was going to turn the skull into a helmet and Scylla nodded. "A skull needs some work before you can safely and comfortably wear it," she informed her, reaching out, toes splaying, to take the skull and flip it over. With one pointing toe, she showed her. "All of these little lumps and ridges can cause more damage than protection if you get thumped in the head. You'll need some padding, some reinforcement and something to keep it strapped to your head if you want to use it properly."

Hesitancy crept into the girl's look and voice as she asked Scylla about being on her own. The woman's head gave a little tilt. "Don't rely on anyone to save you. Always be ready to save yourself. Once you can do that, you'll be ready for anything the world can throw at you." Part of Scylla felt bad for one so young being thrust into the world on her own, but it would either make or break her. Scylla had been out doing her own thing before she was a year old, though it had been by choice. Still...

"I am Scylla, Sovereign of Obscura," she began. "If you'd like to come visit my pack, I'll help you work on that helmet. What do you think?" A little shrug was given, a striped shoulder rising and falling. "No pressure."

"Scylla"

Inferna listened intently, her pink eyes following Scylla's every movement as she pointed out the details of the skull. She'd never considered the practicality of wearing it fully, only the statement it would make when a wolf saw her in it. Scylla's calm expertise only deepened her fascination with the woman. "Padding and straps... she murmured, already thinking about how she could pull that together.

Her floppy ears pricked up when Scylla offered advice about surviving alone. Don't rely on anyone to save you; those words struck a chord. Inferna nodded slowly, her usual fire tempered by the weight of the truth Scylla spoke. "Yeah... I get that." She couldn't help but feel even more alone, trying her best to harden her resolve in front of the woman she admired, but then.. Scylla said something that made her perk up once more.

At the Sovereign's introduction and invitation, Inferna's excitement flared again, though she reminded herself to keep it cool. "I'm Inferna," she said, sitting a little straighter to present herself properly to a Sovereign. Of course this woman led her own pack! Why didn't Inferna see it before? She certainly held the air of leadership. "I would like that - visiting Obscura, I mean."

A flicker of a grin crossed her face. "And I bet you've got more badass stories to tell. I'd like to hear those too."


"Inferna"