He watched Vale carefully, studying his fatigue and keeping a close eye on him. If he showed any signs of not being able to handle this conversation at the moment, Elias would leave him in peace to rest whether he liked it or not. He paid attention to the color of Vale's gums when he spoke, they were still pale from his bloodloss but not sheer white. He sighed and continued to think.
His first plans for the man that would throw him straight into the darker reality that was part of Ruina culture. If the blood oath had not been foreboding enough, the tasks Elias had in mind for his new friend soon would. Would Vale follow him, challenge him, or perhaps even hate him for these things? The new alpha was determined to discover his answer.
"Dommiel is the rank I bestowed upon you in front of my family, it is the rank of our warriors. You are, indeed, a warrior.. however the duties and your true title, unknown to the rest of the pack- for now, will be the duties of The Shepherd. The Shepherd is an elite rank within Ruina, though I could not say this in front of my family... I do not believe they are ready to know what it means to be oathed to the blood of Ruina just yet." He paused for a moment, his voice low and quiet though very eerily serious. He would attempt to read any disapproval on Vale's features before continuing. Could he handle the secrets?
"The Shepherd cares for Ruina's slaves, we call them Lambs. They are our accumulated souls that we have forcibly claimed to continue our service to the demons that empower us. We offer them in Autumn to sate our demons before the harsh season of Winter drives them mad from starvation." Now that Vale had settled down, Elias did the same- retiring his weight completely to lay across the cool soil of the den while he continued informing him.
"Demons are very hungry entities, they require.. many souls to be sated. Every year, Winter especially provokes these demons even more than usual. You and I both know how.. bad it is.. when these demons go unsatisified. The demons of Ruina, the demons in us, crave power and souls are their power. Wolves were created to feed them, that is why we are drawn to one another to combine our strength and conquer more. Ruina is a Kingdom of the Underworld that has been tied to my bloodline since the original Apollyon, the demon who crafted and embodied the very first wolf. He had red eyes and red fur, and brought to life the pack of Ruina alongside his lesser demons in their own wolf bodies. They conquered all that they came across and claimed it for their own, and Apollyon led these wolves for centuries through the blood of the original wolf he had created- the blood of my blood. Many souls were drawn to his power and would come to willingly join him, but most are devoured and claimed. He followed my family very closely, granting us with incredible strength for the price of the irresistible urge to kill for the strength of Ruina, whether we are aware of it or not." He paused for a moment, ensuring that Vale was still listening and was not getting too tired. He had yet to reveal what their plans were as soon as the man was healed, but there was a heavy weight on that request. His ear flicked as he thought of the possible reactions that could come from Vale.
