He now knew the frustration of being left, and it left a sickening taste in his jowls. He had left her once, and she had forgiven him. Now it was she who was gone, and he could feel the anger she once held bubbling up in his chest. They had all left him, dissolved into nothingness. All of those he had once trusted and even loved - gone or too pitiful to be around. He was bitter and frustrated and furious that his life, which had once been so promising, had turned out to be nothing better than this. But there was hope. He had heard the Armadas now held a portion of the South. They were Armadas he was scarcely familiar with - and had possibly never even met - but they were blood all the same. It would be this blood that he would seek, and to the South he would go. Paws of great size would carry him onward, toward the sound of a river. He needed a drink, to bathe, and more importantly - to eat. A river could provide all of these things in one pass, and he would be reunited with kin in no time. He arrived at the river, delving into it's depths without even a moment of hesitation. The current was strong, but he was stronger. He almost reveled in how powerful he felt while striding against the current. He waded into deeper water, bending his legs until his shoulder blades were beneath the surface. He would blow water from his nostrils while dipping his head under the water, ensuring an all over clean. His mother would be proud, his father too. They had prided themselves in their appearance, and so he did the same. He marched back out of the water a moment later, dipping his cranium to the river and lapping thirstily from its' depths. “speak,”

Valentine had watched from a lofty pinnacle as the brute below entered the water. He'd met this creature before, although the details of their encounter was sketchy. He'd slept since then. When the other was done and began to make his way towards the shore, the king abandoned his high place and made his way down with the intention of intercepting the blue/black brute before he could leave the river's side. "Hello again," he greeted, carefully keeping his gaze from wandering his new companion's dripping form. "It seems we might have more business to discuss, seeing as fate or what have you has crossed our paths again." The king paused, then, "I don't believe I caught your name last time. My name is Valentine Imperialis." "Talk" "You" Think

He hadn't known he was being watched. Had he known he would have done things differently. But alas, he had been completely unaware. His frame, blackened further by it's current sodden state would emerge from the water, noting the presence of another who was oddly familiar. Had he learned to pay more attention to faces he might have recognized this man as someone he'd met before and even remembered his name, but as things were he couldn't recall anything other than his vague appearance. The man spoke to him, greeting him and then lapsing into lengthy verse, as any of the Armada lineage might. “It seems we might,” he would agree without a note of emotion. The man would offer his name, and ears would perk with interest. “The famous Valentine,” the purest of Armadas would voice. “What a pleasure.” Culture dictated that this was the time in which he should utter his own name, and so he would - with hips slowly drifting toward the earth. “Kyarst Armada,” he spoke with every ounce of pride that the name deserved. This was a man who knew the weight of his surname, who could appreciate the fine blood the youngest Armada possessed within his veins. This was a man worth bragging to. “speak,”

"The famous Valentine." The brute's brows arched in response to the other's lavish statement. It seemed his name was getting around, although who exactly was spreading it was a mystery to him. Friends? Enemies? Surely he didn't yet merit legends. The blue/black brute seated himself and parted with his name. Yet another Armada? It seemed they were everywhere. "Ah," he murmured, his eyes taking in the distance. "Armada. Your family is known to me. Any relation to Drashiel?" The name caused a twinge of pain as it left him. The recently departed had been, even though their relationship had been brief and largely formal, dear to the titan. Valen hadn't realized how much so until he had gone. "Talk" "You" Think

So the Armadas were known to the man called Valentine. It wasn't such a shocking statement, given their prestige as of late - but the man's youthful age did make it slightly surprising. It was usually the older wolves who recollected the Armada legacy. 'Any relation to Drashiel?' Now that was surprising. A nod came, followed by the verbal confirmation. “Drashiel is a brother of mine,” he noted, not caring to go into the details that he was only a half brother. “What of him?” he would query with interest, allowing his tail to switch lazily behind him. The blue-black Armada glanced with interest over the frame of the other, noting just how similar the two of them looked in hue. This was primarily an Armada trait, carried by his parents, but he supposed it could occur just about anywhere - though he hadn't known it to be so. He would wait, then, and determine just what it was that had caused Valentine to bring up Drashiel out of the blue. “speak,”

ooc; short, sorry!

"Drashiel is a brother of mine." Valentine wasn't surprised by this statement. He'd never asked Drashiel who his father was, there'd been no reason to, but he suspected that he belonged to that horny old geezer who used to inhabit the north. "What of him?" What indeed? Having simply been seeking to make a connection, he hadn't really had more to say on the matter. He shrugged, his expression solemn, and said, "He was a good friend of mine, a good packmate and a great alpha. It's a pleasure to meet a sibling of his." It was a shame that he was gone. Valentine was certain he could have been Imperium's greatest asset. "Talk" "You" Think

Intrigue clouded his features as he wondered what this man might know of his closest half-brother. Were they friends? Foes? It was hard to tell. Then again, the man could simply know of Drashiel, he had of course been holding a pack alongside their half-sister. It wouldn't be surprising to him that the man would know him because of this and this alone. 'He was a good friend of mine, a good pack mate and a great alpha. It's a pleasure to meet a sibling of his.' Valentine spoke as if Drashiel had come and gone. Had he? It and been a few weeks since their last encounter, nearly a season - in fact. “You speak as if he has gone somewhere.. did he leave Alacritis?” He could determine from the man's speech that what was once their family pack was no longer owned by their family. Just where had Drashiel gotten off to? Lysis would want to know as well, if she had bothered to be here. He suspected he would have to be the one to track down their lost half-brother. He breathed a silent sigh, an ear flicking idly. It was pitiful that their family was so scattered that he had to inquire information like this from a man he scarcely knew. “speak,”

“You speak as if he has gone somewhere.. did he leave Alacritis?” It wasn't a great surprise that this brother was unaware of what had happened to Drashiel since his death had taken place inside of Imperium. With his mate gone as well, there'd been no need to take the news beyond the border. For a moment the king's gaze swept across the distance before resting on Kyarst. He cleared his throat in an effort to stall for time as he fought to find the words that would not only do justice to his late friend, but hopefully make the news as easy for the brother to take as possible(as if it were ever easy). "No, I'm afraid not. Last season him and his mate were attacked by a bear. His mate, Roman, died during the attack, but Drashiel survived. Him and his children sought aid in my pack..." He cleared his throat again. "But I'm afraid he succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter." "Talk" "You" Think

The man seemed to be stalling, and yet it never crossed his mind that Valentine might offer him bad news of some kind. Drashiel was young, and Kyarst had nothing else to believe except that he had left Alacritis, just as Kyarst had some time ago. He would, however, be forced to believe differently as he shifted his weight on his haunches and listened to what Valentine had to say. Drashiel and Roman were attacked by a bear. Roman had been killed, and Drashiel died shortly after. He spoke not a word for a while, his mind swirling with images - imaginations of how the fight went down, how Roman had fallen, how Drashiel must have been crushed to know he was alive and she was not, how he died shortly after. The children, what about the children? Kyarst found his insides swirling with a dangerous cocktail of anger and sadness, and neither emotion was subtle when expressed by an Armada. Kyarst breathed in a long, deep breath, and finally voiced the only concern he could let himself focus on at the moment. “The children, are they..” alive? He couldn't bring himself to even ask the full question. A myriad of emotions continually barraged his brain for some time as he tried to process what a very near stranger had just told him. He wanted justice, revenge, something. He wanted action, but what could be done? The bear was likely miles away by now, and there was little chance of finding it a season too late. Drashiel and Roman could not be saved, so there was little he could do for either of them but honor their memory. Their legacy remained, in the form of children he had only known within Roman's womb. It was their legacy he could protect and honor. It was all of them he had left. “speak,”

"“The children, are they...” Eager to put his mind at ease, Valentine was quick with a response. "They're fine," he assured the other, "Drashiel entrusted them to one of my advisors before he passed." And they were thriving. Daegmar was harsh and he honestly pitied the pups she'd just birthed; he half expected to find her out marching the newborns around while they were still blind and deaf. That being said she was a good teacher. She'd train them all up well. "They're doing well in her care." "Talk" "You" Think

He had never been the greatest of banner carriers for children, but he felt especially obligated to ensure that his half nieces and nephews survived - and even thrived. He truly hoped they had not been with Roman and Drashiel when the bear attacked, but they had to have been somewhere, so it was very possible they could have fallen prey to the monster as their parents did. If the man believed in the gods he would have thanked them at once as Valentine offered him the information he had hoped for. The children were fine, and entrusted to an advisor within Imperium. He gave a nod, though for what reason he wasn't quite sure. The children were alive, and doing well. There came a sigh of relief. There were a few less lives to mourn. “That is a relief,” he voiced out loud. “It will not be an easy life for them, losing their parents before they even knew them. It's a shame.” Eyes focused then directly upon the man before him, determination sparkling behind emerald irises. “I would like to know them, if you would allow it. I don't know if any others kin to them reside with you, but I would like your consideration to add me to your number." He paused, taking in a breath and realizing what exactly he was asking. He had always intended to join a pack, and hadn't a clue which one would suit him. Now, he was certain he would belong in Imperium. His family was there, or at least a fragment of it. “I have a half-sister I was recently separated from, and it's my intention to find her once again. She would come with me if she remains in Alacritis. Perhaps we could come and discuss joining you in the near future?” Lysis had left him, and although he was bitter he had to give one last effort to find her before he tied himself down to life in a pack. “speak,”