Beast

It didn't take long for his brother to notice his presence. In fact, it was noticed immediately, and Lykos had expected nothing else from his brown-furred sibling, ever the expert in his surroundings. They stared at each other for long moments, until finally Gryphon spoke; Lykos said nothing at all, because... well, he was at a loss of what to say. He didn't know what to say.

The hurt and anger in his brother's voice made a pang of pain go through the young wolf, and he cringed inwardly. Nothing showed on the outside, though, only the same emotionless expression, blank and empty, much as Lykos' thoughts and feelings had been lately. At least... until the end. When he spoke of abandonment. A laugh burst out of him, sardonic and bitter. "Me? Abandoning them?" he laughed again, a hint of the raw pain that he'd experienced so many seasons ago coming out briefly. "Before or after I was told I was a traitor for having a friend outside the pack? Before or after I was that I was no better than a man who possibly abandoned his mate - or so our mother believes? Before or after our mother told me that all this time she believed that you all were more loyal because you guys immediately left Imperium, whereas I stayed? Before or after she banned me from leaving Ivalice, sentencing me to a rank that is scarcely above a slaves and prevented me from leaving the territory without an escort? Before or after our dear beloved Dragon refused to release me from Talis when all I want to do is get away from them." The words came out in a rush, and all of sudden, they were less of responding to Gryphon, and more the internal conflict that had been in his chest for seasons. "Before or after I was basically told that I could have no friends outside the pack, without it being held against me, or make any decision based on my views, without it being used against me seasons later after being reassured that my decision was alright?" Sure, it was nearly repeating what he'd already said, but it meant something. To him, anyway.

But... his brother was also correct, to a degree. He might have abandoned the family, after the majority had done so to him, but... Gryphon never had. Gryphon never had abandoned him; never intended to. He'd abandoned his thin-furred brother first, and there was no excuse for that. "But you're right. I did abandon you, when you were the only one who did not do that to me. For that.. for that, I apologize." The words themselves may be formal, almost, but were sincerely true, regardless of the phrasing. Because that was wrong, and Gryphon was in as much pain with that as he was, and it was Lykos' fault. Knowing what it felt like, he didn't wish it on anyone - and he certainly didn't want to be the cause of it.

"Lykos"