Elias wasn't a healer, but he'd suffered enough injuries recently that he'd picked up on a few tricks that healers would use whenever they seemed to patch him up. Of all their tactics, administering cobwebs seemed to save his life more often than not. He was sure their other herbs had magic behind them that worked beneath his skin, but cobwebs immediately stopped bleeding and his side never seemed to be given a chance to heal since the attack with the cougar.

With his newly carved knife placed between his lips, he'd entered the Soulless Forest on his way back to Mount Volkan. As he walked through the forest, he stopped at every low hang branch and bush to collect whatever spiderwebs he could and wrap them around his left forelimb. He was extra careful with this leg, as he'd learn to be from harvesting his twine for trap making, and didn't allow himself to brush it against anything he didn't have to as he traversed through the forest.

It was a bizarre feeling, walking alone to the burning mountain when he knew that after tonight, his previously directionless life would be filled with something greater than himself. It would be filled with the faces of his family, of his friends, and of those loyal to Ruina- he knew this life.. and yet it had been a part of him so long ago that he almost didn't know how to face it.

He'd been alone for nearly three years just getting to know himself, train himself, and work on controlling the powerful demons that cursed his blood. He was no longer their victim, he no longer tried to push them from his life, he had learned to run with them. That was something he was only newly confident about when assessing himself, and something that Vale had helped him discover about himself.

He was already planning on collecting cobwebs for the oath he planned on having Vale recite to him, but during his trip, he managed to come across more webs than he originally thought he would. He tore each one down until he thought he'd have enough for perhaps four or five of these oaths, and then he kept moving.

Ash lightly dusted the air around him as the soil between Redbud Nook and Mount Volkan changed to charred lands. The smell of ash and sulfur already lingered in the air all the way out here, yet its scent was something that took Elias home. He started running now toward the mountain, following the blackest of brimstone on the volcanic plateau. The warm feeling of the earth beneath his toes felt natural and thrilling, he was moving faster and faster now with growing ambition refueling his tired body.

Vale's dark figure against the brimstone caught him off-guard, the ashen wolf stopping in his tracks so sharply the moment he saw it.. his entire body fell forward slightly. Powerful forelimbs quickly spread out to either side of him and stopped Elias from falling any further. He pushed against the earth and turned around, his red dot stare falling immediately on Vale. His world stopped for a moment and the demon within him began to stir.

His maw split open, thick teeth whipping ropes of suddenly exposed saliva out from their curves as a fiercely ringing, thick and growling scream as his talons scraped across the rock floor beneath him. When he drew nearer to Vale, he looked for any signs of breathing- almost certain the man was already dead. The jackals beside him were looked upon with deeply seeded hate as he neared them and picked up one of the already mutilated bodies- a female missing a windpipe. He didn't doubt that Vale had gotten even, but if they had managed to take him down due to his already existing injuries- Elias wasn't sure if there was any coming back from the kind of anger he was experiencing right now.

Why hadn't he come back just a day sooner, or perhaps why didn't he ask Vale to come with him? Where the fuck was fate, and that feeling they had just a few days ago.. like everything was lining up? The man contained his growling but stood over the still body of Vale and swallowed hard. He had to focus so he could hear if his friend was breathing or not. He had to focus. The sound of his tongue audibly rolling behind his teeth as he sucked in the air and tried to keep his lips from quivering, from another growl ripping out of him. He focused on breathing for a moment before he lowered his skull to Vale's, ear hovering just in front of his nose.

A second went by and Elias could feel his soul sinking, his demons whispering... and then, Vale took a breath.

Elias lifted his skull immediately, not even really thinking about how many could hear this call- and what it might mean for him. They needed a healer, and he knew Zuriel and Daelos must be close. If not them, someone had to be in these mountains that could help. From the pits of his longs, he bellowed out a growling howl that spoke of urgency- of life, of death and of absolute rage.

OOC

tl;dr - Vale was already pretty injured from a cougar fight, but he was told to go to Mount Volkan and wait for Elias with a ram skull he was told to keep safe. He was almost in good health when he got into another fight with jackals, and now he has lost way too much blood and is fading out of life.

Elias found him and is immediately enraged, letting out a scream almost anyone around the mountains would be able to hear. He checks for signs of life and discovers that Vale is still breathing. He let out a howl, asking for anyone nearby to come.

So, this isn't a typical 'laid claim' thread but we didn't really get the pack in a typical way, either!

Zuriel and/or Daelos are expected to be in the area, and after they show up the main focus of this thread will be healing Vale. It's going to be pretty dramatic, there's going to be a rushed blood oath taking place, etc.

Go ahead and respond to this round with characters that you want to witness these events and potentially join Ruina, however the next few rounds after will be between only a few main characters as everyone else watches.

I will have another ooc note allowing everyone to know when to post again. I hope you guys like reading. <3