The pain, the sering pain was what he had noticed straight after he started to cry blood. At first he just assumed his eye was watering from the stress he had been placing his body through with training, but no blood had started to drip onto the ground and his paws. He felt hot, and eventually fell into the snow, despite the temperature felt so hot. The yearling panted lightly growling underneath his breath, what was happening to him? Vereux let out some soft barks just in case someone was nearby, had they get the chance bring him to Eris. The pain was deep within his chest, his eye was still bleeding, and he felt unbelievably irritated. Why was that? He was now worried he might infect others as well with whatever it was. Because it definitely wasn't a wound, it was some kind of sickness. He knew that much from his mild healer training. He raised his head in a howl, hoping Athena would hear it. Speech,

When Vereux's voice reached her ears she stopped in her tracks, confusion and worry gripping her. She could tell something was wrong from his call, but she had no idea what it could be. She took off, silver paws carrying her as fast as she could go across the snowy ground. She slowed to a stop when she arrived at the Wash, her split-tone gaze frantically searching for her brother. She spotted him moments before his scent hit her, the smell of sickness radiating from him. Fear dropped into her stomach. "Vereux!" she called as she ran over to him, having to force herself not to reach out to him as she stopped just in front of him. Blood was dripping down his face, running from his eyes, and her gaze widened with horror. What was this? She had never seen anything remotely like this before. She had seen wounds, battle scars, things that made sense and had reasons. This... This she didn't know how to fix and that worried and frustrated her. "Vereux, hold on, everything is going to be okay," she told him, hoping he believed her words more than she did. She lifted her muzzle to the sky, letting loose a howl stronger and louder than her brother's, praying Eris would hear her. The healer was the only wolf she could think of that might be able to explain what was happening. As her howl died off she looked back at Vereux, trying her best to stay calm for him as she gently rested her forepaw on top of his. Speech Thought Others

"Love, did you hear that?" The spotted feline would coo to his mistress, his audits swiveling toward his left as the cry died out. "Yes I did. It sounded like-" "Vereux!" Her words would be cut short by the shrieks of another, and the silver overseer would be quick to pivot on her heels and bound toward the direction of the commotion. Ever since she had seen Sendoa writhe like a possessed being she would take every precaution to insure the rest of the pack was safe, since she didn't know if what the queen had was contagious. 'please, please don't let this effect the children...' She would silently pray, as if anything or anyone were listening to her futile pleads. As the two came into view her fears would be realized, Athena standing in front of Vereux whose eye were seeping blood just as Sendoa's had. "Athena! Keep your distance, he is contagious!" She would bark at the young girl just as she lifted her head to call for Eris, the packs healer. Liberty would aim to come beside the young heiress, hoping to nudge and guide her a few feet back from her diseased brother. Ramses would swiftly bound forward, aiming to put himself directly between the boy and the girls, his amethyst eyes narrowed and his pelt bristled, his expression daring the boy to progress forward and try anything. Meanwhile Liberty would be quick to explain things, as she didn't want another member sick from this contagious plague. "The queen and king, they have fallen ill with this disease. It is contagious, and we must be very weary young heiress. Our defenses are falling quickly, we cannot risk infecting others." There was concern in her voice, an emotion that rarely leaked to the surface in the charcoal overseer. Her head would turn toward Vereux, whom she feared would start convulsing randomly just as Sendoa had. "Vereux, I need you to keep your distance dear, you are very ill and contagious. Eris will be here shortly to help you, but please, remain calm." She would speak softly to the boy, hoping he would keep calm to avoid the aggressive symptoms Sendoa had shown. "Liberty speech" "Ramses speech"

It seemed that the empire was crumbling around her. Kyung had fallen ill and Sendoa were both confirmed ill with the epidemic. She hadn't seen Isardis, but as weak as he was with his previous sickness- she wouldn't be surprised to hear that he, too, was ill. Sendoa had been leading alone, as of late- and now it was on the newly named heiress, Athena's shoulders alone. When a howl crossed the land she cringed- before nosing her patients once more and sliding from her den. Athena The newly named heiress had been the source the cry. She felt her stomach hollow, as she begged the gods that the heiress wasn't ill too. Stepping forward, her walk emerged into a trot, then into a lope towards the sound. As she approached, she could smell three others, Liberty and her leopard- and Vereux. Slowing, she emerged from the shadows. Her golden eyes glanced over the wolves present, and her heart sank as she realized the reason she had been called was Vereux. She approached slowly, he didn't seem as ill as the others. Perhaps there was hope for him. She wouldn't admit it to the pack, but she was at loss for what to do for them. She'd never seen an illness like this, all she could do was treat the symptoms, not necessarily the illness. She approached them, and came to stand at Vereux's side. "Athena, I know you want to be close to your brother, but I need you to go to a stream- wash yourself, from any where you've touched him. The illness is spreading, and you're the only ruler we have left." She spoke calmly, stepping between the heiress and her brother. "Vereux, can you walk? I need to get you to my den." She spoke in a low tone to the boy, her golden eyes brimming with worry. THANK YOU YUMPY MY LADY LUMPY Speech,

Unbelievably, he would pull his lips back in a deep snarl. "Don't come near me!" he snapped at Athena as Liberty and her companion showed up. So yes as he had assumed before he was sick, and he would have never dreamed of snapping at Athena not at this moment anyway. A deep growl in his throat as the cat pulled itself in front of liberty. His blurry vision didn't help besides for the blood coming from his eye. His nose told him of his surroundings as it had since his other eye went out. Making him roll his eye he stepped back once it really pissed him off with how they were acting like he was some sort of Valhallan enemy. "You don't think I know that Liberty! Remain calm, your damn cat is acting like I'm a prisoner, what you don't care if you get sick too. Who will be with liberty then hmmm?!" he snapped at the cat. Before then Eris arrived and he stayed at least a few feet away from liberty and the others. His tail flicked in irritation. As Eris came his anger only fumed slightly, god damnit what was happening to him? He couldn't go through his training like this. "I know ERIS! I know!" he turned to liberty and narrowed his eyes. "You better keep my sister safe or I will personally rip you to pieces I don't care if you are an overseer. She means more than the world to me Liberty. AND MAKE SURE YOUR GOD DAMN CAT DOESNT DO ANYTHING RASH! HES YOUR FRIEND ISN'T HE!" Vereux shouted. His fur bristled as he walked towards Eris' Den, he waited for her to follow as well, but respectably kept his distance. Speech,

Vereux would do the job of getting her away from him before Liberty ever had the chance to. He would snap at her and she would jerk her paw back, her brows pulling together in hurt confusion. Then, in a flurry of activity, Liberty, her companion, and Eris would all appear, pulling her away from him. Suddenly there was yelling and voices overlapping one another, Liberty and Eris giving their explanations. Isardis and Sendoa were ill too? She had never seen her brother in such an enraged state, snapping at anyone and everyone, but she didn't hold it against him. She had no way of knowing how he was feeling right now. Her claws dug into the ground as she watched him walk away from her toward Eris's den, fighting her urge to protect him. But there was nothing she could do now. This wasn't an enemy, this wasn't another being attacking him. This was a disease. There was nothing for her to sink her fangs into. All of her hours of training and fighting were worthless now. All she could do was hope Eris could help him. She watched him go, seriousness and a certain coldness falling over her features. "I apologize for my brother's behavior," she said quietly, her gaze turning to Liberty and then to her cat, aiming the apology mainly toward the feline since he had yelled at him the most. Turning her attention to Eris, her eyes pleaded with her as she spoke. "Take care of him, Eris. He's very important to me." With that she forced herself to turn the opposite direction, heading off to wash in the stream as Eris had instructed. Speech Thought Others

The news that her unknown father had another family whose lives he actually played a part in was not something that Talvi had taken all that well. Completely confused she had isolated herself, returning to the North though unable to complete her journey to lead her back home for a while. Desperately she wished to speak with her mother, though Argent had been ill for some time nor did she believe any of any of this was her mother's fault. Not trusting her emotions however Talvi knew that she had to try calm herself before she could actually return. Her mind was still reeling from the news when Winter arrived though she decided no longer could she stay away, she had to return home before the pack simply assumed she had abandoned them not that she assumed many would really miss her. She had begun to build herself a name in the pack, start the path to being a loyal member and now had likely thrown that all away in her absence. This was Kasai's fault, if she'd simply stayed put in Glaciem then Talvi would have never tried to find her and never met the blue and gold girl whose name she had never actually learnt. Crossing those borders back into the pack lands however instantly Talvi could feel that something wasn't quite right. Cautiously she made her way through the lands, trying to place what the problem might be. It didn't come to her immediately though Vereux's weak howl wouldn't be heard though the stronger call from Athena would meet the blue and silver girl's ears and concern would strike her heart. Swiftly she would begin to move towards the sound, the call was for Eris, Talvi doubted she could help in anyway though she had to ensure that everything was alright. Whilst she hadn't taken the newest of her half-siblings so well, those she called brothers and sister through Argent were unquestionably her family and if they were in trouble, she would be there. Vereux's shouting was the next thing she heard, even before she had arrived at the scene. Pushing her speed, she would approach the scene in time to see Athena was leaving the little gathering group, with the silver girl closer than the rest, Talvi would veer off towards her. "Athena, what's happening?" She would call before she had even managed to reach her sister.

It was so difficult to walk away from Vereux when he was in such a state. She wanted to stay with him, but she knew she would only be causing more harm than good. She padded steadily onward, away from her brother and the two Overseers, till Talvi's voice caught her attention. Her eyes darted up to see the blue girl rushing toward her and Athena rushed to meet her halfway, stopping Talvi from getting any closer. "Vereux is sick, very sick," she explained, leading Talvi away with her. "Eris said to go wash in the stream. You should too. I can't have another of my siblings get like that." She turned her focus onto protecting Talvi to keep herself from stressing out completely. It gave her something else to focus on at the very least. Speech Thought Others

Athena would hear her words and move to meet Talvi, causing her to slow and stop to avoid a collision between the pair. Concern would grow at the silver girl's words and she would cast a worried glance over to the group now. Almost instantly she thought to rush over there, whilst she certainly wasn't as close with her half-siblings as they were with each other, she still wished to ensure he was ok. Eris was there of course, there was nothing Talvi could do even half as well as the Healer and Overseer but there was still that longing to see Vereux. As if Athena had read her mind she would encourage her to walk and come wash as well. Blue eyes would move once more to her sister's form and though she still was somewhat reluctant to do so with a small sigh she would give in. Vereux had his help after all, Athena could probably do with the company and God only knew that Talvi could use it too after her isolation. With a small nod she would follow Athena now as she led the way to the stream.